CJI Surya Kant Proposes 'Nyay Setu', BRICS+ Judicial Fellowship To Strengthen Legal Cooperation

Addressing the inaugural plenary on “Rule of Law in a Multipolar World: Building Legal Capacity for Economic Resilience,” the Chief Justice highlighted the importance of strengthening institutional trust and cooperation among legal systems in the face of economic volatility, fragmentation of multilateral governance and growing gaps between political commitments and available legal mechanisms.

To deepen judicial engagement among BRICS+ nations, Justice Surya Kant proposed a BRICS+ Judicial Fellowship, under which career jurists would spend short periods in courts across member jurisdictions. He said such exchanges would allow judges and legal professionals to directly observe different judicial systems, engage with diverse legal traditions and cultivate greater institutional familiarity.

The Chief Justice also proposed the establishment of a shared jurisprudence repository, drawing upon India's experience in the digitisation of case law. He observed that such a platform could enable courts across BRICS+ countries to access judgments delivered in other jurisdictions and benefit from comparative legal reasoning when faced with similar legal questions.

Introducing the expression “Nyay Setu”—meaning a bridge of justice—Justice Surya Kant said the idea should become part of the Forum's vocabulary and serve as a symbol of legal connectivity among BRICS+ nations. He described it as a bridge linking different legal traditions and creating avenues for deliberate and sustained institutional trust-building.

Attorney General for India R. Venkataramani, who also addressed the inaugural session, emphasised that technological transformation, changing patterns of global connectivity and the sharing of common resources require a renewed understanding of the rule of law. He called for a redefinition of the concept of the “common good” and stressed that economic resilience must be understood not only through efficiency but also through equality, justice, sustainability and collective value creation.

The Attorney General further observed that governance and judicial institutions, originally designed to perform specific functions, are increasingly facing new stresses and challenges. He underscored the need for institutions to become more open and cooperative and urged the legal profession to play an active role in addressing the emerging demands of the next generation of the rule of law.

The inaugural programme was attended by senior office-bearers of the Bar Association of India, including President Prashant Kumar and Vice Presidents S.S. Naganand, Rachana Srivastava and Dr. Anindita Pujari. S.S. Naganand delivered the welcome address, followed by the President's remarks by Prashant Kumar and the address of the Attorney General. Dr. Anindita Pujari conducted the proceedings.

A notable feature of the inaugural session was the release of the book “Embedding Good Faith in Indian Contract Law: From Monsoon Rhythms to Modern Markets – An Economic Value Preservation Framework for a Developed India,” authored by Prashant Kumar and published by Mohan Law House. The book examines the role of good faith in Indian contract law and proposes an economic value preservation framework in the context of a developed India.

The plenary session also witnessed participation from representatives of legal institutions across the BRICS+ grouping and partner jurisdictions, including China, Brazil, Ethiopia, Indonesia, Iran, Russia, South Africa and the United Arab Emirates, reflecting the Forum's emphasis on sustained engagement among diverse legal traditions.

The Forum will deliberate over two days on issues including economic resilience and the rule of law, climate finance and developmental justice, legal education and institutional capacity building, BRICS+ commercial arbitration, artificial intelligence governance and digital trust, international investment treaty arbitration and digital payment systems.

The event is scheduled to conclude on August 23 with a closing plenary titled “Towards a BRICS+ Legal Architecture for the 21st Century,” during which participants are expected to consider the 11th BRICS+ Legal Forum Declaration, constitute working groups and set the mandate for the 12th BRICS+ Legal Forum.