Governments/Public Sector

Book Review, Causes of Conflict, Civil rights, Conflict, Conventional wisdom, Cross-cultural, Dispute Resolution, Governments/Public Sector, Growth of the Field (Challenges, New Sectors, etc.), International Law, International Mediation, peace negotiations, Practical Challenges for Mediators, UN and International Organizations

(Brick Court Chambers / Clifton Chambers)/ /Leave a comment

Prior to Christmas I found myself in Jerusalem, Israel – the heart of the heart of the conflict of our time. Here, no one agrees on anything – even the monks from various Christian denominations (Greek Orthodox, Armenians, Catholics and others) responsible for The Church of the Holy Sepulchre where Christ was crucified, argue amongst…

Commercial Mediation, Conventional wisdom, Creativity, Developing the Field, Efficiency, Future of mediation, Governments/Public Sector, Growth of the Field (Challenges, New Sectors, etc.), Negotiation, Public Policy, Settlement Agreements, Success in mediation, Understanding mediation

(Weiler ADR Inc.)/ /Leave a comment

A potpourri of mediation-related reflections as the holiday break fades from memory. Hockey Mediation – With last Saturday’s puck drops in 13 cities the National Hockey League has commenced its lockout-shortened season. Full arenas around the league confirm the strength of the game’s drawing power if not the forgive-and-forget sentiments of long-suffering fans. Readers of this…

ADR, Appointment of Mediators, Commercial Mediation, Cross-cultural, Developing the Field, Dispute Resolution, Governments/Public Sector, Mediation Agreement, Mediation Outcomes, Scotland, Settlement Agreements, Stories, Success in mediation, Uncategorized

(University of Strathclyde)/ /3 Comments

Edinburgh is one of the world’s top tourist attractions. To quote its own website “Edinburgh is an multi-award-winning, world-class tourist destination. A must-see cultural capital. From stunning skylines to sandy beaches, festivals to fireworks – the city has something for everyone, day and night.” So, it can hardly have been good for business when, during…

Conciliation, Developing the Field, Dispute Resolution, Domestic Courts, Future of mediation, Governments/Public Sector, Growth of the Field (Challenges, New Sectors, etc.), Legislation, Mediation Reforms (Legislation, etc.), National Mediation Laws, Switzerland

(Esprit d’entente)/ /Leave a comment

In previous posts I had pointed out how difficult it is in my area to make mediation taking off and despite the fact that Switzerland has been known as a “neutral” country with a long standing practice of promoting peace in the settlement of dispute, at least viewed from an international perspective. A figurehead of…

Commercial Mediation, Developing the Field, Governments/Public Sector, Growth of the Field (Challenges, New Sectors, etc.), Impasse, Legal Issues, Mediation Schemes (In Courts, etc.), Policy, Public Policy, Sport

(Weiler ADR Inc.)/ /1 Comment

Two stories currently making headlines in Canada provide the occasion to harken back to previous posts on this blog. Mediation Backlog – Ontario No-Fault Auto Insurance Disputes  In March of this year I blogged about the consequences of under-resourcing mandatory mediation programs. The Financial Services Commission of Ontario (FSCO) had (and still has) a huge…

'Money-only' Cases, ADR, Commercial Mediation, Creativity, Deal Mediation, Future of mediation, Governments/Public Sector, Litigation, Mediation Practice, Success in mediation

(Weiler ADR Inc.)/ /3 Comments

I’ve been working in this field for more than 20 years and one thing that I’ve observed with genuine curiosity over that time is the sniping from various quarters that what I (and others with practices similar to mine) do each day falls short of “The Promise of Mediation”. As readers of this Blog will…

Book Review, Developing the Field, Family Mediation, Governments/Public Sector, Ireland, Mediation Practice, Mediation Schemes (In Courts, etc.), Public Policy, Regulation, Training

(Sabine Walsh Mediation)/ /Leave a comment

This month I want to share with you a little gem of a mediation book, published late last year by the Irish state-funded Family Mediation Service (FMS). I wanted to review this book for two reasons – first of all, because it is an excellent publication which, though written in the context of the 25th…

Appointment of Mediators, Australia, Court Procedure and Litigation, Developing the Field, Domestic Courts, Efficiency, Evaluative Mediation, Governments/Public Sector, Growth of the Field (Challenges, New Sectors, etc.), Mediation Institutions and Rules, Mediation Lawyering, Mediation Practice, Mediation Reforms (Legislation, etc.), Mediators’ Conduct, Public Policy, Reform, Regulation, Responsibility of States, Standards, Uncategorized

(Brick Court Chambers / Clifton Chambers)/ /Leave a comment

As you would expect, judges are appointed for their ability to adjudicate, often untested at the time of elevation to the Bench. Once appointed, many jurisdictions around the world then ask their judges to suspend their adjudication skills in favour of mediating controversies coming before the court, often in an effort to reduce backlogs. And it seems…

ADR, Bias, Costs in Mediation, Court Procedure and Litigation, Dispute Resolution, Domestic Courts, Efficiency, Europe, Governments/Public Sector, Growth of the Field (Challenges, New Sectors, etc.), Lawyers, Legal Issues, Mediation Institutions and Rules, Mediation Lawyering, Mediation Practice, Mediation Reforms (Legislation, etc.), Mediation Users/Clients, Public Policy, Reform, Uncategorized

(University of Strathclyde)/ /Leave a comment

Scotland is a practical nation. The list of its inventions includes penicillin, anaesthetics, steam engines, tarmac roads and even the decimal point (see http://www.magicdragon.com/Wallace/thingscot.html#Ta). Like the rest of the UK its culture was in part forged by the ‘practical man’ of the Industrial Revolution, rejecting grand theory in favour of trial and error. Its lawyers,…

ADR, Court Procedure and Litigation, Governments/Public Sector, Growth of the Field (Challenges, New Sectors, etc.), Regulation, Responsibility of States

(CMS)/ /Leave a comment

Even if in most jurisdictions it is still rarely practiced, a few areas of law exist in which mediation may provide as many benefits as it does in bankruptcy. A drastic increase in the amount of bankruptcy filings during the recent financial crisis has forced bankruptcy judges and attorneys to seek and employ various methods…