Dispute Resolution

The Rajasthan State Legal Services Authority inaugurated the Jaipur Arbitration and Mediation Centre at Vidhik Seva Sadan, Jaipur, on May 10, 2026. The Centre was inaugurated by Justice Sandeep Mehta, Judge of the Supreme Court of India. This dedicated facility is designed to strengthen the alternative dispute resolution infrastructure in Rajasthan by providing a professional venue for arbitration proceedings, court-annexed mediation, and hybrid dispute resolution processes.

In a politically charged order that could shape the future of the Tamil Nadu government, the Madras High Court on May 12, 2026 restrained Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK) MLA R. Seenivasa Sethupathi from participating in any floor motion in the 17th Legislative Assembly, including the crucial confidence motion. The interim order, passed by a vacation bench of Justice L. Victoria Gowri and Justice N. Senthilkumar, arises from allegations of postal ballot irregularities in a cons

The National Legal Services Authority (NALSA) has announced that the 2nd National Lok Adalat of 2026, conducted across the country on 9 May 2026, facilitated the amicable settlement of 2,07,66,548 cases with an overall settlement amount of Rs 3,440.81 crores. The Lok Adalat was held under the leadership of Justice Surya Kant, Patron-in-Chief of NALSA, and Justice Vikram Nath, Executive Chairman of NALSA. Breakdown of Cases Settled Of the total cases settled, 1,87,63,883 were

The Department of Expenditure, Ministry of Finance, has issued comprehensive guidelines for arbitration and mediation in contracts of domestic public procurement. These guidelines, applicable to all central government ministries, departments, and their attached or subordinate offices, mandate the inclusion of structured dispute resolution clauses in government contracts and establish a framework for resolving disputes through arbitration and mediation before resorting to liti

A fundamental question in Indian real estate law remains unresolved: can disputes between homebuyers and developers be referred to arbitration, or does the Real Estate (Regulation and Development) Act, 2016 (RERA) create an exclusive jurisdiction that bars arbitration? High Courts across India have taken conflicting positions on this issue. The Bombay High Court has held that disputes under Sections 12 and 18 of RERA are non-arbitrable, while the Gauhati High Court has held t

In one of the largest GST disputes to come before an Indian High Court in recent years, the Madras High Court has ordered a pre-deposit of approximately Rs 241 crore in a classification dispute involving catalysts, with the total tax demand exceeding Rs 4,500 crore. The case raises fundamental questions about the classification of industrial catalysts under the GST tariff, the interface between chemical and industrial product classifications, and the scale of revenue at stake

India's Lok Adalat system provides a statutory alternative dispute resolution mechanism through which pending court cases and pre-litigation disputes can be settled amicably, without the formality and delay of ordinary trial proceedings. On 14 March 2026, the 1st National Lok Adalat of 2026 resolved approximately 2.84 crore cases with a combined settlement value of Rs 10,920.47 crore, underscoring the continuing scale and relevance of this system in reducing India's massive c

India enacted the Mediation Act, 2023 (No. 32 of 2023), receiving Presidential assent on 14 September 2023, marking a watershed moment in the country's alternative dispute resolution landscape. For decades, mediation in India operated without a dedicated statutory framework — parties relied on the Arbitration and Conciliation Act, 1996 or court-annexed mediation under the Code of Civil Procedure. The Mediation Act, 2023 changes this entirely by establishing mediation as a sta