At the Annual Litigation Conference 2025 in Chandigarh, Supreme Court Justice Surya Kant urged global jurists to strengthen international legal cooperation, emphasizing that law must build bridges of trust, dialogue, and mutual respect, not walls of division.
Thank you for reading this post, don't forget to subscribe!
Chandigarh: “Law is at its best when it builds bridges, not walls,” declared Supreme Court Judge Justice Surya Kant, addressing an audience of jurists, advocates, and scholars at the Annual Litigation Conference 2025.
Held at Hyatt Centric, Chandigarh, the event, themed “Comity of Courts and International Legal Cooperation in Practice”, was jointly organised by the Society of Indian Lawyers (SIL) and the Bar Council of England and Wales. The conference brought together voices from India and abroad to deliberate on strengthening judicial cooperation across borders.
ALSO READ: ‘Marriage Should Be Based on Dignity, Equality, and Partnership’: Justice Surya Kant
Delivering the keynote address, Justice Kant underscored the urgent need for sustained judicial dialogue, capacity building, and technology integration to achieve meaningful international legal cooperation.
He described comity as “not blind acceptance but reasoned recognition rooted in mutual respect,” reminding attendees that global judicial engagement must be built on trust, transparency, and shared principles rather than mere formality.
“International legal cooperation,” he said, “is no longer aspirational, it is part of our daily judicial lives.”
Justice Kant also reflected on the challenges of transnational litigation, including issues of sovereignty, technological complexities, and cultural differences. These, he noted, demand not just legal acumen but empathy and adaptability from modern courts.
From the international side, Barbara Mills KC, Chair of the Bar Council of England and Wales, reaffirmed the enduring relationship between India and the United Kingdom. She called for both nations to “do better in addressing the needs of the Indian diaspora in England and British-Indian families.”
A seasoned family law expert, Mills highlighted reforms in marriage and family law, referencing the 2005 policy frameworks, and examined how globalisation has shaped cross-border family disputes. London’s reputation as the “divorce capital of the world”, she noted, is both a reflection of its robust legal infrastructure and a reminder of the complexities of modern transnational families.
Chief Justice Sheel Nagu of the Punjab and Haryana High Court echoed this global sentiment, expressing Chandigarh’s readiness to contribute to India’s ambition of becoming a centre for international dispute resolution.
Earlier in the day, the city’s legal community gathered for a “Charity Walk for Mediation for the Nation” at Sukhna Lake, led by Chief Justice Nagu. Joined by members of the Bench and Bar, law students, and citizens, the walk symbolised a collective commitment to embedding mediation as a humane, compassionate pillar of justice in India’s legal ecosystem.
As the conference concluded, participants reaffirmed their collective resolve to translate the ideals of comity, compassion, and collaboration into tangible practice.
Justice must remain a bridge, one that connects fairness, dignity, and humanity across nations.
