More in-court mediation available
26 May 06
Aberdeen and Glasgow mediation pilots, and website help all launch
Two new pilot in-court mediation projects in Aberdeen and Glasgow sheriff courts and a civil justice Advice Finder website have been launched.
The projects, which will run for two years at a cost of £30,000 each per annum, will help people facing small civil disputes to resolve their problems without going through court proceedings. During this time they will be evaluated to see whether they could be of longer term benefit.
The successful bidder for the contract to establish and run the pilots was Court Mediation Services, a subsidiary of Catalyst Mediation.
An in-court mediation pilot based at Edinburgh Sheriff Court has been in operation since 2003. The new pilots differ from the Edinburgh scheme as they will be available for ordinary causes as well as smaller claims and will make provision for payment by the users and remuneration of the mediators.
Claims with a value of less than £750 will be free for the user. For claims with a larger value, fees will be charged on a sliding scale.
Another initiative is the Advice Finder website, which will provide information about alternative dispute resolution, how different methods work and who to contact, as well as being a gateway to other, relevant sites.
Deputy Justice Minister Hugh Henry said:
"Going to court can be a stressful, time-consuming and expensive process and I am delighted to be able to support the constructive process of mediation.
"Clearly, some problems can not be resolved through mediation. However, we support efforts to promote ways of dealing with many different types of complaint that don't involve the courts."
Of the website, he added: "The Advice Finder website is another useful tool for people seeking to resolve difficulties - whether facing debt problems, employment matters, consumer issues, neighbour disputes or family matters. The website will point them in the direction of the most important sources of help, when unsure of where to turn."