The International Mediation Institute (IMI) has announced that it is publishing a suite of eight reports based on the 2016-2017 Global Pound Conference (GPC) events organised in North America. The suite consists of seven city-specific reports (one for each North American city that hosted a GPC), and an overarching report comparing results from across these … Read more
It has been reported that the Civil Justice Council (CJC) has established a Judicial ADR Liaison Committee (the Committee). The formation of the Committee was one of several recommendations made by the CJC’s ADR Working Group in its November 2018 ADR and Civil Justice Report (the Report) considering various ways to encourage the use of … Read more
The Scottish government has recently issued a publication on its plans to reform the use of mediation in the Scottish civil justice system. In the publication, the government expresses its intention to establish a ‘Scottish Dispute Resolution Delivery Group’ that will meet in early 2020 to develop and shape an “evidence-based package of reform” relating … Read more
A recent Court of Appeal decision has highlighted the need to exercise caution when referring to privileged material in settlement agreements. The court held that the claimant was not entitled to withhold from inspection communications that had been incorporated into a settlement agreement with one of five defendants. That was despite the fact that, at … Read more
The Court of Appeal has held that the court has power to order an early neutral evaluation (ENE) by a judge even where one or more parties do not consent to that course. There was no reason to imply into the relevant rule giving the court power to order ENE any limitation based on the … Read more
As has been well publicised, the new Singapore Convention seeks to establish a global enforcement regime for settlement agreements resulting from mediation in cross-border commercial disputes. Signed on 7 August 2019 by 46 countries, the Convention could feasibly be in operation as early as the first half of next year (it will enter into force … Read more
As the spotlight shines on mediated settlements with the signing of the Singapore Convention on Mediation on 7 August 2019, it is timely to recall that settlement agreements, like any other contract, are only as useful as they are enforceable. While parties may often feel that they have completed the hard work in reaching a … Read more
The Singapore Convention, more formally known as the United Nations Convention on International Settlement Agreements Resulting from Mediation, was signed today in Singapore by 46 countries – a record number of first-day signatories for a UN trade convention. While not including the UK or any EU countries, the signatories do include the world’s two largest … Read more
The Swiss Chambers’ Arbitration Institution has announced the release of revised Swiss Rules of Mediation, which entered into force on 1 July 2019. The revised Rules replace the first harmonised Swiss Rules of Mediation, adopted in 2007. The stated aim of the revisions is to further encourage their use by clarifying, shortening and simplifying their … Read more
