New Mediation Bill Passed in India

On Tuesday, August 1, 2023, the upper chamber of the Indian Parliament (Rajya Sabha) passed the Mediation Bill, 2023 that had been pending for about two years. The text of the Mediation Bill may be found on this page. It is awaiting signature by the President of India, at which point it will be known as the Mediation Act, 2023.

India has had an elaborate system of court annexed mediation for some 20 years.  Mediation provisions are also contained in subject-specific legislation such as the Commercial Courts Act, 2015 and the Consumer Protection Act, 2019.  If signed into law, this would be the first national mediation act for the entire country.  It is likely to have widespread impact and promises to offer a laboratory of sorts for studying mediation in the Commonwealth and in common law systems.

The Center for Negotiation and Dispute Resolution (CNDR) congratulates all of the mediation reformers in India and abroad who worked tirelessly to get the Mediation Bill, 2023, this far, including our colleagues at CAMP Arbitration and Mediation Practice, Bangalore.  We will continue to monitor the Bill’s progress toward being signed into law.

Mediation Bill Text: _BillsTexts_RSBillTexts_PassedRajyaSabha_mediation-E822023110124AM