Bhubaneswar, Odisha: The 2nd National Mediation Conference Bhubaneswar will take place at Loka Seva Bhawan on September 27–28, 2025. Meanwhile, Odisha will host legal experts, policymakers, and mediation practitioners to discuss dispute resolution, legal reforms, and alternative dispute resolution (ADR) practices.
The Office of the Advocate General and the Odisha Law Department organizes the event, bringing together eminent jurists, policymakers, and legal experts to deliberate on mediation’s growing role in India’s justice system.
In addition, an official statement said the conference aims to enrich the national dialogue on mediation while empowering practitioners and citizens with the skills and knowledge to harness its full potential. Mediation, as an alternative form of dispute resolution, furthermore reflects India’s civilizational ethos of dialogue, harmony, and reconciliation.
Long before formal courts existed, community panchayats and village elders resolved disputes fairly through dialogue. As a result, mediation became deeply rooted in local governance practices.
Chief Justice of India, Justice B.R. Gavai, will inaugurate the conference on September 27 at 6:30 p.m. Additionally, the Governor of Odisha, Dr. Hari Babu Kambhampati, Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi, Justice Surya Kant, Attorney General R. Venkataramani, Solicitor General Tushar Mehta, Chief Justice of Orissa High Court Justice Harish Tandon, and Justice Manash Ranjan Pathak will also attend.
The first National Mediation Conference took place on May 3, 2025, at Bharat Mandapam, New Delhi, under the aegis of the Attorney General of India and the Ministry of Law and Justice, in the presence of the President of India. Following this, Odisha now hosts the second edition to further spread the philosophy and practice of mediation across the country.
Speaking at a press conference on Thursday, Advocate General Pitambar Acharya said, “This is a landmark occasion for Odisha. Indeed, we became the first state to popularize the Mediation Act, 2023, passed by Parliament. Moreover, mediation offers people-centric, speedy, and effective justice, reflecting Hon’ble Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s vision to make justice accessible to all.”
–IANS
