The Mediation Championship India (MCI) will be hosted from September 13 to 15, 2024 by Gujarat International Maritime Arbitration Centre (GIMAC) in association with mediation awareness firm The PACT and Gujarat National Law University (GNLU), Gandhinagar.
With over 2,000 law students participating in the Championship domestically and internationally, only the top 100 performers earn an invitation to the MCI. The finalists compete for the title of 'National Mediation Champion' over three days of rigorous competition, which involves simulated mediation scenarios, pre-mediation sessions, drafting mediation briefs and email negotiations.
In the finals, teams are required to draft a mediation settlement agreement, under the guidance of mediation practitioners.
The conclave is set to culminate with the presentation of the 'National !mpact Award in Mediation', an honour conferred at the red-carpet gala dinner on September 14.
The event is supported by Shardul Amarchand Mangaldas & Co.
The second edition of the Mediation Championship India brings together law students and professionals to promote mediation and alternate dispute resolution mechanisms. With the Mediation Act, 2023 having been newly introduced, the MCI promotes mediation as a career option for young lawyers.
The event will honour the legacy of senior mediator Niranjan J Bhatt, who passed away last year, with a round-table discussion titled 'The Niranjan Bhatt !mPACT Caucus', on the future of mediation in India.
Additionally, students will have the opportunity to gain from various recognitions including the Suadat Ahmad Kirmani ADR Fellowship, the Laila Ollapally Award for Mediation Advocacy, the FCDR Smart Mediator Award, and the Justice Gita Mittal Mediation Training Scholarship.
Among those in attendance will be former Supreme Court judges AK Sikri and Kurian Joseph, former Chief Justice of the Jammu & Kashmir High Court Gita Mittal, Senior Advocates Sriram Panchu, JP Sengh and Sudhanshu Batra, and Shardul Amarchand Mangaldas Partner Tejas Karia.
MCI 2024 will also see the soft launch of a new online certificate course in mediation, developed by The PACT in collaboration with the Asian School of Cyber Laws (ASCL). Courtesy of the Sadhana Ramachandran Scholarship for Excellence in Mediation, the top 100 finalists will receive complimentary training to further enhance their skills.