BRICS Chief Justices' Forum Concludes

At the opening of the summit, the host nation’s Supreme Court President, Honorable Surya Kant, delivered a welcoming address, following which presidents of the supreme courts of the respective member states delivered their key messages.

‎‎Attending the forum, President of the Federal Supreme Court of Ethiopia, Honorable Mr. Tewodros Mehret, noted in his key address that the selected discussion topics were emerging and essential. He emphasized the crucial need for BRICS member and partner nations to exchange legal practices, strengthen cooperation in justice delivery, and leverage technology to modernize dispute resolution systems, citing measures implemented by the Federal Supreme Court of Ethiopia as an example.

‎Honorable Mr. Tewodros Mehret presented an introductory paper titled "The Role of Mediation in International Commercial Dispute Resolution and Its Challenges." In his paper, he elaborated on the numerous reasons why disputing parties might prefer alternative dispute resolution mechanisms, particularly commercial mediation over formal court litigation.

‎‎He added that because disputes are a natural byproduct of human social and economic activities, courts must offer multiple dispute resolution alternatives beyond standard litigation procedures.

‎He noted that the "Court-Annexed Mediation" currently implemented across federal courts to help litigants settle cases amicably is off to a promising start, with cases involving billions of birr successfully resolved through this mechanism.

‎Addressing the primary challenges hindering the consensual resolution of international commercial disputes, he cited cross-border legal gaps, the reluctance of disputing parties due to the cross-border nature of international trade disputes, and cultural differences among nations, urging member states to focus their efforts on these areas.

‎On the forum discussions centered around four main themes: Mediation as a strategic mechanism for resolving international commercial disputes in a globalized economy, cross-border arbitration of foreign arbitral awards: challenges and prospects for procedural harmonization, artificial intelligence, digital innovation, and judicial administration, and judicial leadership in ecological governance and the advancement of sustainable development.

‎In his closing remarks, Mr. Tewodros Mihret stated that BRICS member countries must move beyond shared judicial principles toward tangible judicial cooperation. He highlighted that judicial bodies cannot strengthen themselves in isolation and must remain prepared to learn from one another as socio-economic conditions evolve.

‎Concluding his address, he expressed gratitude to India for organizing the forum and reaffirmed Ethiopia's commitment to actively participating in BRICS judicial initiatives and activities.