New breed of mediators can revolutionise British legal system
Against a background of economic stagnation and shrinking public sector budgets, mediation is bucking the trend, with more people than ever taking up mediation training. And while the legal system is embracing the change, many of the new breed of mediators come from outside the law profession.
Dispute resolution in all areas of the law is increasingly being settled outside the courts. The Government has spent £25m to back the growth of the sector and now recommends mediation in divorce cases, avoiding the courts with their associated emotional fallout and legal costs.
Many mediators believe that there is a wider benefit too, and that the growth of mediation offers the opportunity to transform the British legal system. Neil Robinson, vice-chairman of the Family Mediator's Association, says "We've had 800 years of an adversarial legal system and it will take a couple of generations for it to set in – but it's getting there."
Marilyn Webster, CEO of Mediation Works, says “We’ve seen a huge increase in the number of people undertaking accredited mediation training with us. We’re delighted that the benefits of mediation are being recognised by government. It's not just about cost - in our work over the years with the Equality and Human Rights Commission, we’ve demonstrated time and again how mediation can resolve disputes quickly and effectively and achieve long term benefits for society .”
Against a background of economic stagnation and shrinking public sector budgets, mediation is bucking the trend, with more people than ever taking up mediation training. And while the legal system is embracing the change, many of the new breed of mediators come from outside the law profession.
Dispute resolution in all areas of the law is increasingly being settled outside the courts. The Government has spent £25m to back the growth of the sector and now recommends mediation in divorce cases, avoiding the courts with their associated emotional fallout and legal costs.
Many mediators believe that there is a wider benefit too, and that the growth of mediation offers the opportunity to transform the British legal system. Neil Robinson, vice-chairman of the Family Mediator's Association, says "We've had 800 years of an adversarial legal system and it will take a couple of generations for it to set in – but it's getting there."
Marilyn Webster, CEO of Mediation Works, says “We’ve seen a huge increase in the number of people undertaking accredited mediation training with us. We’re delighted that the benefits of mediation are being recognised by government. It's not just about cost - in our work over the years with the Equality and Human Rights Commission, we’ve demonstrated time and again how mediation can resolve disputes quickly and effectively and achieve long term benefits for society .”