The Supreme Court of India is hosting the BRICS Chief Justices’ Forum in New Delhi from September 4 to 6, bringing together senior judicial leaders from BRICS member states and partner countries for discussions on contemporary issues affecting courts and justice systems.
Chief Justice of India Surya Kant will hold a series of bilateral meetings with judicial leaders from 10 countries on the opening day of the forum. The meetings are expected to provide an opportunity for direct discussions on matters of mutual judicial interest and to strengthen institutional engagement between participating judiciaries.
According to the Supreme Court of India, the Chief Justice of India is scheduled to meet judicial leaders from Russia, China, Egypt, Indonesia, the United Arab Emirates, Belarus, Kazakhstan, South Africa, Iran and Uzbekistan.
The visiting judicial leaders include Igor Krasnov, Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of the Russian Federation, and Zhang Jun, Chief Justice of China and President of the Supreme People’s Court. The delegation also includes Boulos Gahmy Iskander Boulos, Chief Justice of Egypt’s Supreme Constitutional Court, and Sunarto, Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of Indonesia.
Other judicial leaders scheduled to meet Justice Surya Kant include Mohammed Hamad Al Badi Al Dhaheri, President of the UAE Federal Supreme Court; Andrei Shved, Chairman of the Supreme Court of Belarus; and 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, are also scheduled to participate in bilateral engagements with the CJI.
The three day forum is intended to provide a platform for judicial dialogue and the exchange of experiences among participating countries. The Supreme Court has said that the discussions will focus on justice delivery, international dispute resolution, technology and sustainable development.
The forum comes at a time when courts around the world are dealing with increasingly complex cross border legal disputes and rapid technological developments. Judicial cooperation and the exchange of experiences can help participating institutions examine common challenges and approaches to justice administration.
One of the major themes of the forum will be mediation and international commercial disputes. Judicial leaders will discuss the role of mediation as a mechanism for resolving international commercial disagreements.
International commercial disputes can involve businesses, investors and institutions operating across different legal jurisdictions. Mediation can provide an alternative method for resolving such disputes without relying entirely on lengthy court proceedings.
The forum will also examine cross border enforcement of arbitral awards. Arbitration is widely used for resolving commercial disputes involving parties from different countries, but enforcing an arbitral award across jurisdictions can involve legal and procedural challenges.
Judicial leaders are expected to exchange views on these challenges and consider ways to improve procedural coordination and consistency in international dispute resolution.
Artificial intelligence and its growing role in the judiciary will form another important area of discussion. Courts and judicial institutions are increasingly examining how technology can assist administrative functions and improve the delivery of justice.
At the same time, the use of artificial intelligence in legal and judicial environments raises questions relating to accuracy, transparency, accountability, privacy and human oversight. Discussions at the forum are expected to provide an opportunity for participating judiciaries to share their experiences and approaches to these emerging issues.
Judicial leadership and sustainable development will be the fourth broad theme of the forum. The discussions are expected to consider the role of judicial institutions in addressing legal and institutional challenges associated with sustainable development.
The participation of countries from different regions is expected to provide a wider perspective on these issues. BRICS member states and partner countries operate under different legal systems and institutional frameworks, making judicial dialogue an important avenue for sharing experiences.
The second day of the forum will include addresses by heads of judicial delegations. Judicial representatives from Brazil, China, Egypt, Ethiopia, Indonesia, Iran, Russia, South Africa and the United Arab Emirates are expected to participate.
Partner countries including Belarus, Bolivia, Kazakhstan, Malaysia, Thailand, Uganda and Uzbekistan will also be represented at the forum.
The gathering is therefore broader than the 10 bilateral meetings scheduled for the CJI. The 10 countries refer specifically to the judicial leaders with whom Justice Surya Kant is scheduled to hold bilateral engagements on the opening day.
The wider forum will provide participating judicial institutions with an opportunity to discuss issues affecting justice systems across national boundaries.
International judicial cooperation has become increasingly relevant as legal disputes involving multiple jurisdictions continue to grow. Issues such as commercial arbitration, cybercrime, digital evidence, cross border transactions and emerging technologies often require cooperation between judicial and legal institutions in different countries.
The exchange of information and best practices between courts can contribute to a better understanding of these challenges. However, each country's judiciary continues to operate within its own constitutional and legal framework.
The BRICS Chief Justices’ Forum provides a platform for dialogue rather than creating a common judicial system among participating countries. Its purpose is to facilitate exchanges between judicial leaders and encourage institutional cooperation.
The role of technology in courts is expected to receive particular attention during this year's discussions. Artificial intelligence is rapidly becoming part of conversations about legal research, court administration, document processing and access to justice.
Judicial institutions are assessing both the potential benefits and risks associated with these technologies. Discussions among senior judicial leaders can help identify common concerns and approaches to responsible technology use.
The forum's focus on sustainable development also reflects the growing connection between law, environmental governance and development policy. Courts in many countries increasingly encounter legal questions involving environmental protection, climate risks, natural resources and sustainable infrastructure.
Judicial leadership can play an important role in ensuring that legal institutions remain capable of responding to these emerging challenges.
The bilateral meetings involving Justice Surya Kant are expected to complement the broader forum discussions. Direct engagement with judicial leaders from individual countries can provide opportunities to discuss specific areas of mutual interest and institutional cooperation.
The participating countries also have diverse legal traditions and judicial structures. Exchanges between their senior judicial representatives can provide insights into how different systems address common challenges.
India's hosting of the forum also highlights the role of the Supreme Court of India in international judicial dialogue. The event brings senior judicial representatives to New Delhi for discussions covering both established areas of international law and emerging challenges linked to technology and sustainable development.
The forum will continue over three days, with the opening day focusing on bilateral engagements and subsequent sessions addressing the main themes.
The Supreme Court has emphasised that the forum is intended to strengthen dialogue among participating judiciaries and facilitate the exchange of views on contemporary issues concerning justice delivery and institutional development.
For India, the meetings provide an opportunity to engage directly with senior judicial representatives from major BRICS countries as well as partner nations. Such engagement can support continued dialogue on international dispute resolution and other areas of judicial cooperation.
The presence of judicial leaders from countries including Russia, China, South Africa, Iran, Indonesia and the United Arab Emirates also reflects the broad international participation in the event.
The forum is being held in New Delhi ahead of the wider BRICS Summit scheduled later in September. The judicial forum forms part of broader engagement among participating countries, while its discussions remain focused specifically on judicial and legal matters.
The four main themes have been selected to address areas that are increasingly relevant to courts and legal institutions. Mediation and arbitration concern the resolution of international commercial disputes, while artificial intelligence represents a rapidly developing technological challenge for the judiciary.
Judicial leadership and sustainable development provide a broader institutional perspective on the responsibilities and challenges facing courts.
As judicial systems continue to adapt to technological and international developments, forums such as this can provide opportunities for senior judges to compare experiences and discuss possible approaches.
The BRICS Chief Justices’ Forum will therefore bring together judicial leaders from a wide group of countries for discussions on justice delivery, international dispute resolution, technology and sustainable development.
Chief Justice of India Surya Kant's planned bilateral meetings with judicial leaders from 10 countries will form a key part of the opening day. The discussions are expected to focus on matters of mutual judicial interest and strengthen institutional relationships.
The forum's proceedings will provide an opportunity for participating countries to share their perspectives on emerging legal challenges while maintaining their respective judicial and constitutional frameworks.