Jurisdiction

Availability of Mediators, Azerbaijan, Mediation Act, Mediation Practice, Mediation Reforms (Legislation, etc.), Policy

(ADR Center Romania) and (ArbMe Dispute Resolution)/ /Leave a comment

Starting from January 1, 2021 the law requiring the attendance of the initial first mediation session comes into force in Azerbaijan. Below we describe the steps taken in the previous months and to be taken in the coming months in preparation for this very important milestone for mediation in Azerbaijan. Background Azerbaijan adopted the Law…

Developing the Field, General, Singapore, Singapore Convention on Mediation

(National University of Singapore, Faculty of Law)/ /Leave a comment

Note: This was co-authored with Samuel Teo and I would like to acknowledge his significant contributions to the preparation of this entry. In past entries, I have highlighted a peer mediation initiative called the Peacemakers Conference which seeks to teach 13-16 year olds how to resolve conflicts amicably in a workshop cum competition format. As…

Brexit, Causes of Conflict, Conflict, Europe, Negotiation, Tips, Uncategorized

(University of Strathclyde)/ /4 Comments

“I think the EU will need to move significantly on both those key points because they’re points of principle.” (Dominic Raab, UK Foreign Secretary, speaking on the BBC this morning) The Brexit negotiation, despite its dizzying stakes, has triggered a fair amount of wry humour. I’ve poked gentle fun at the protagonists myself: Brexit Irritators:…

ADR, Commercial Mediation, Cooperation, Court Procedure and Litigation, Decision making, Dialogue, Dispute Resolution, Future of mediation, Litigation, Mediation and Society, Mediation Outcomes, Policy, Scotland, Uncategorized

(Core Solutions Group)/ /4 Comments

I write this in the aftermath of yet another mediation in which the protagonists exhibited symptoms of having been seriously traumatised by the litigation process to which they had been exposed. Depression, suicidal thoughts, anger, loathing, destroyed relationships, large amounts of money spent with no discernible value. And this was a commercial situation, not a…

ADR, Brazil, Commercial Mediation, Consumer conciliation, crisis negotiatons, Dispute Resolution, South America, Technology, Uncategorized

(Mediar360 - Dispute Resolution ) and (FGV Mediacao)/ /1 Comment

Just recently (November 4th), hackers attacked Brazil’s Superior Court of Justice (Superior Tribunal de Justiça – STJ). Not only they had access to the Court’s system and encrypted its entire database but also demanded ransom money to restore it. In other words, they succeeded in hacking one of the most centralized courts in the Brazilian…

Chinese Culture, Go to the balcony, Mediation Skills, Mindset, Reality-Testing

(Kwok, Ng & Chan, Solicitors & Notaries)/ /Leave a comment

According to the Chinese Lunar calendar, yesterday (1 October 2020) was the Mid-Autumn Festival, commonly known as the Moon Festival in the West. With more Chinese living in different parts of the world, the Moon Festival has been receiving more attention, and gradually, it is becoming a popular festival everywhere as we all like to…

Future of mediation, Growth of the Field (Challenges, New Sectors, etc.), Leadership, Mediation Practice, Neuroscience, Personal Development, Practical Challenges for Mediators, Reflective Practice, Scotland, The role of the mediator, Uncategorized

(Core Solutions Group)/ /4 Comments

The process of discerning what to write about in a blog is interesting. Sometimes inspiration comes quickly. On other occasions, there is a barren wilderness, or a hotchpotch of half-formed ideas. This month feels like the last of these. I thought to write about a really excellent new book by the Oxford economists, Paul Collier…

ADR, Argument, Australia, Commercial Mediation, Conflict, Dispute Resolution, International commercial mediation, Med-Arb Clauses, Mediation Practice, mediation process, mediation traditions

(University of New South Wales)/ /Leave a comment

I say regularly that students make the best teachers. My students continue to prove me right. In my recent ADR program I confessed to my undergraduate students that having a conversation about culture was something that made me very anxious. I feel poorly prepared and I fear, with the best intentions, causing offence and appearing…

Appointment of Mediators, COVID-19, cross-border mediation, Cross-cultural, Developing the Field, Dispute Resolution, Economics, Efficiency, Email, Future of mediation, Growth of the Field (Challenges, New Sectors, etc.), International commercial mediation, Japan, Legal Issues, mediated settlement agreement, Mediation Practice, Online Dispute Resolution (ODR), Online Mediation, Singapore, Singapore Convention on Mediation

(Singapore International Dispute Resolution Academy)/ /Leave a comment

Hot off the heels of the Singapore Convention, The Singapore International Mediation Centre (SIMC) and the Japan International Mediation Center (JIMC) on 12 September 2020 signed a Memorandum of Understanding to operate a joint protocol that provides cross-border businesses, including companies along the Singapore-Japan corridor, with an economical, expedited and effective route for resolving commercial…

Developing the Field, Experience, Instinct, Intuition, mediation models, Mediation Practice, mediation process, mediation traditions, Neutrality, Practical Challenges for Mediators, Scotland, Stages of mediation, The role of the mediator, Uncategorized, Understanding mediation

(University of Strathclyde)/ /2 Comments

I wrote this piece for Strathclyde Mediation Clinic after a series of conversations with new and learner mediators. Some surprised me with their passivity in the face of parties’ lack of knowledge or understanding. After some probing I learned that many new mediators recognise the problem but believe the model they were taught prohibits them…