Ahmedabad: In a significant step towards strengthening Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR) mechanisms, Chief Justice of India Justice Surya Kant laid the foundation stone of the Gujarat High Court Arbitration Centre (GHAC) on February 28. The centre is being established under the aegis of the High Court of Gujarat.

The proposed centre, to be set up within the High Court campus, is designed to cater to the growing demand for both domestic and international arbitration and mediation. It will feature world-class infrastructure, including 16 arbitration conference rooms, each equipped with two breakout rooms. The facility will also include seven dedicated mediation rooms and an advanced Online Dispute Resolution (ODR) system to address the needs of modern dispute resolution practices.

Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel, Deputy Chief Minister Harsh Sanghavi, and Chief Justice of the Gujarat High Court Sunita Agarwal, who serves as the Patron-in-Chief of the GHAC and the Gujarat State Legal Services Authority (GSLSA), along with other dignitaries, were present on the occasion.

Addressing the gathering, CJI Surya Kant said, “These are not merely ceremonial engagements placed side by side on a program. They represent two decisive steps in a shared journey—one giving concrete form to our commitment, the other providing it with intellectual direction. Together, they affirm, assure, and resolve that India’s dispute resolution framework should not merely function but inspire confidence, not merely exist but command trust.”

In collaboration with the Gujarat State Legal Services Authority (GSLSA), the GHAC is also organising a two-day conference on February 28 and March 1 on the theme, “Institutional Arbitration at Crossroads: Challenges and the Way Forward.” The conference aims to bring together arbitrators, advocates, and key stakeholders to deliberate on institutional arbitration, including its framework, comparison with ad hoc arbitration, issues of trust and capacity, ethical and effective dispute resolution, essential parameters of arbitral awards, stakeholder roles, enforceability, and evolving hybrid models such as Med-Arb and Arb-Med. The discussions aim at building a future-ready ADR ecosystem in Gujarat. DeshGujarat