The High Court has imposed indemnity costs in two recent cases (DSN v Blackpool Football Club Ltd [2020] EWHC 670 (QB) and BXB v Watch Tower and Bible Tract Society of Pennsylvannia & Ors [2020] EWHC 656 (Admin)) as a result of a party’s unreasonable failure to engage in ADR. 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

On 6 March, the Civil Justice Council held a workshop to discuss the recommendations made in its interim report on ADR, which was subject to consultation late last year. The interim report addresses concerns regarding a perceived underuse of ADR within some sections of the civil justice system and suggests a variety of possible corrective measures. The … Read more

The Court of Justice of the European Union (CJEU) has concluded that national legislation imposing mandatory mediation as a pre-condition to litigation is not precluded by the EU ADR legislative framework, provided that the parties are not prevented from exercising their rights of access to the judicial system.   However, to the extent that such a pre-condition required consumers to be assisted … Read more

A recent Court of Appeal decision is the latest instance of the court expressly sending a message to litigants confirming what it expects of them regarding mediation within the court process: Thakkar v Patel [2017] EWCA Civ 117. Upholding a first instance decision which it described as "severe, but not so severe that this court should … Read more

In a case referred to the Court of Justice of the European Union (CJEU) by the Italian courts, an Advocate General opinion has been issued which considers the scope of the Consumer ADR Directive, including whether it precludes national legislation from imposing mandatory mediation as a pre-condition to litigation:  Menini and another v Banco Popolare Società Cooperativa (Case C-75/16).  Read more

Further to our earlier posts (here and here) highlighting material from our recently updated Guide to Dispute Resolution in Asia Pacific, we now feature in part 3 the responses from New Zealand, Pakistan, Philippines, Singapore, Taiwan, Thailand and Vietnam to the question whether parties to litigation or arbitration are required to consider or submit to ADR procedures before or during proceedings. Read more

A recent Hong Kong judgment has added to the growing body of case law illustrating courts’ intolerance of litigants who refuse to engage with ADR.   The decision will be of interest to litigants not just in Hong Kong but in other jurisdictions (including England) where similar procedural rules allow a court to penalise a party whose refusal to mediate … Read more