The U.K. has no specific law relating to the use of mediation as a settlement mechanism. Until recently, neither did India. That changed in October 2023 with the passing in India of the Mediation Act 2023 which will start to show its effects through 2024.
The Act creates a more structured framework for mediation within India. This is intended to encourage the use of mediation in India and in doing so to reduce the load on the courts. Certainly, mediation has been effective in doing this elsewhere but given the very large backlog in India it is open to doubt whether mediation can do enough to make a noticeable difference.
