BRICS Chief Justices' Forum Begins In New Delhi; CJI Surya Kant Meets World Judicial Leaders

The BRICS Chief Justices' Forum began in New Delhi on Friday, bringing together Chief Justices, Presidents of Supreme Courts and senior judicial leaders from BRICS member states and partner countries for a three-day meeting focused on strengthening judicial cooperation.

The Supreme Court of India is hosting the forum from September 4 to 6, with judicial delegations from Brazil, China, Egypt, Ethiopia, Indonesia, Iran, Russia, South Africa and the UAE, besides partner countries including Belarus, Bolivia, Kazakhstan, Malaysia, Thailand, Uganda and Uzbekistan.

Among those who met the CJI on Friday were -

Igor Krasnov, Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of the Russian Federation :

Zhang Jun, Chief Justice of China and President of the Supreme People's Court :

Boulos Gahmy Iskander Boulos, Chief Justice of the Supreme Constitutional Court of Egypt :

Prof. Dr. Sunarto, Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of Indonesia :

Mohammed Hamad Al Badi Al Dhaheri, President of the UAE Federal Supreme Court :

Andrei Shved, Chairman of the Supreme Court of Belarus :

Aslambek Mergaliyev, Chairman of the Supreme Court of Kazakhstan :

Mahube Betty Molemela, President of the Supreme Court of Appeal of South Africa :

Ayatollah Gholam Hossein Mohseni-Eje'I, Chief Justice of Iran :

and Malikakhon Kalandarova, Deputy Chairperson of the Supreme Court of Uzbekistan :

The discussions focused on strengthening judicial cooperation and bilateral relations, including the possibility of entering into memoranda of understanding for judicial cooperation between participating countries.

The judicial leaders also discussed the role of mediation and arbitration in resolving commercial and corporate disputes and the need to create a conducive environment for cross-border business activities. The importance of efficient commercial courts in enhancing the confidence of foreign investors was also highlighted.

Another area of discussion was the possibility of mutual recognition of judicial awards and decrees, aimed at facilitating more effective enforcement of judicial decisions across jurisdictions.

The meetings also explored professional exchanges through institutions such as the National Judicial Academy, Bhopal, as well as the exchange of best legal practices among participating countries. The judicial leaders discussed the possibility of holding bilateral conferences on contemporary legal issues.

Technology and artificial intelligence in the justice system also featured in the discussions, with emphasis on integrating technological advancements to improve judicial efficiency. Expeditious judicial processes and their role in strengthening people-to-people ties were also discussed.

Chief Justice Surya Kant underlined the judiciary's role in building coordinated bilateral cooperation and strengthening relations between countries. He also proposed the creation of a common platform for arbitration and mediation to address commercial disputes.

Chief Justice Surya Kant also met other delegates representing BRICS member states and partner countries. Bilateral meetings were also held among judicial delegations from other participating countries.