Mediation in England and Wales: Why should it be mandatory?
Issue: Vol 1 No. 1 (2016)
Journal: Mediation Theory and Practice
Subject Areas:
Abstract:
The role of mediation in the resolution of civil disputes has grown enormously in recent years. However, the question of the governmental and judicial role in supporting mediation has divided policymakers around the world. In particular, the question of whether mediation should be compulsory in certain cases has generated significant debate. This article examines the prevailing views on this issue in England and Wales today. It then considers the arguments for and against implementing mandatory mediation, with reference to the experience of other jurisdictions that have experimented with compulsion. It concludes that judges ought to be afforded a discretionary power to order parties to attend mediation as a prerequisite to access to the state courts in appropriate circumstances.
Author: Julio César Betancourt, John Lee
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