The Dispute at hand has been referred to mediation upon the suggestion of the Court. I have been identified as the independent mediator for this dispute. My main objective is to fully diagnose the situation by gathering and organizing all the relevant information. I aim to do so by building credibility, fostering a positive relationship with the parties, and educating them about the mediation process while securing their commitment to this process. In order to achieve this act it will require broad psychological control and people management. Over the course of mediation procedure I will apply the different elements of principled negotiation to achieve an agreement that is competent and improves the existing hostile relationship of both parties.
Agreement
An essential element to the operation of the mediation process is that both parties agree and consent to the intervention before preparatory activities begin. Therefore, a clearly written agreement should be drafted. I plan to draft this document with the input from all parties, in order to aid interpretation and minimise future ambiguity. The document will describe the clear intent and agreement between the parties and will be signed by all parties and their counsels. The agreement will pay particular focus on the following points:
Agreement to commit to mediation
Each individual party must use its best efforts to comply with the reasonable requests made by me in order to ensure a punctual and expeditious determination
These mediation proceedings are not conducted under oath, do not follow traditional rules of evidence and are not limited to developing the facts. Mediators are expected to draw out the parties' perceptions and feelings about the events that have brought them into conflict. It also encourages parties to acknowledge
Should any member refuse to participate in the mediation that member’s action results in a lost position, and the dispute is then resolved. Mediation should not exceed one day. The team leader through directives from the instructor will facilitate the mediation in an attempt to resolve the dispute. Throughout the mediation each team member will be able to state their position and provide any supporting information on their behalf. After each team member has presented their supporting information in regards to the dispute, the instructor will rule on the dispute with the team leader serving as facilitator and witness. The instructor’s ruling is final and shall result in resolution of the dispute.
A special research field in the mediation literature intends to shed light on the question, how influential the impact of mediator’s characteristics and motivations on the mediation process is. Concerning the state of research, the studies of this debate show a divergent picture. There are scientists who have queried the significance of mediator’s impartiality (Bercovitch/Houston 1996; Kydd 2003, Touval 1982; Zartmann/Touval 1996). Scholars like Saadia Touval have underpinned that mediators are often biased and can perform their tasks just as well if not better as impartial mediators. Additionally, Touval and Zartmann stated in their study that mediation is an exercise in power politics: “leverage is the ticket to mediation” (Touval/Zartmann 1989: 129). In 2003, Kydd finds that mediators use their leverage to one of the two conflicting parties and therefore constraint concessions. Thus, the mediator must be biased to be effective. This means that merely a mediator who is biased towards one side can credibility tell them that the opponent will not make peace without the concession. Carnevale and Arad (1996) also remarked the importance of bias. Nevertheless, they suggest that impartiality should not be underestimated and therefore be taken in to consideration.
Throughout this course thus far we have generically discussed the various models of mediation(in particular facilitative),skills and tasks needed by a mediator to conduct a successful mediation. The facilitative approach we have been studying, via theory and in-class exercises has afford us some great insight into mediating into a variety of domestic conflicts from family to business disputes.However,there is a whole other subfield in mediation ,which we have not discussed and that is international mediation. International mediation also has a variety of forms. Cases for mediation can range from a conflict between two states, an ethnic conflict that, has bought violence within a particular state, or perhaps a business dispute between
Disputes between individuals can be resolved through mediation, tribunals and courts are sought depending on the complexity and nature of the dispute. Their effectiveness in achieving justice for and between individuals to varying extents will be assessed by their ability to uphold notions of fairness, equality, access, timeliness, enforceability and resource efficiency.
“Grievance mediation is an alternative dispute resolution procedure which promises many of the advantages of arbitration in less time and at lower expense” (Roberts, Wolters, Holley, & Field, 1990). Mediation is less time consuming and the least expensive method of resolving a complaint than going forward with the arbitration process. If chosen by the complainant, grievance mediation is a completely voluntary step. This is the step prior to going forward to the arbitration process. The mediation step provides an opportunity for a
“A mediator is a third party who assists interested parties in negotiating a conflict. A mediator controls the mediation process but does not have authority to decide the outcome for the parties” (Barsky, 2007). A mediator, in a given situation, helps to dissolve the conflict and looks to the best interest
Fells (2016, p. 211) wrote “ just as a doctor works to bring a person back to health, so too a mediator works to bring a deadlocked negotiation back to a situation where the parties can reach agreement”. This essay discusses this statement with reference to contemporary research on dispute resolution. In order to comprehend how this is achieved, we must consider the essence of mediation, the different types of mediation and what mediators do. Negotiation and mediation are process used to resolve opposing preferences between parties. Negotiation is defined in Fells (2016, p. 3) as “a process by which two parties with differences that they need to resolve try to reach agreement through
Perhaps the biggest issue facing court systems in the future is the victim’s movement to have their cases handled outside the court system, and through private systems like mediation or arbitration. Mediation is a method of alternative dispute resolution in which a
However, there are a few occasions where, because of the excessive entanglement between the individuals and resulting personal emotions, settlements are much harder to reach. Judge Sokoloff shined and used her art of mediation and influencing here, effectively allowing the parties before her to compromise. I was surprised by her very efficient and very effective use of the mediation tactic; so much so, that it has in fact influenced me a great deal. Firstly, the experience showed me the importance of mediation, and its efficiency within the legal process. Secondly, the experience instilled in me the importance of a legal practitioner’s temperament, and the effect that it can have on the judicial process. Thirdly, and probably the most impacting of the points was, the experience allowed me to realize that I was not as far off in my understanding of the legal field as I initially believed, rather intellectually I was able to relate to many of the
When all participants of mediation are involved and do their part in the process, it is likely that mediation will succeed. This full participation begins prior to the actual start of mediation. Each party should begin their participation in the process by assisting in the planning of the mediation process. Each party needs to help their attorney prepare for the mediation and then listen carefully to what the opposing counsel offers with their opening statement. This is a good preview of what the judge or jury will hear if the mediation is not successful and the case goes to
This essay will provide a detailed examination of what Alternative dispute resolution (ADR) is, particularly mediation, the various techniques of ADR, the advantages and disadvantages of ADR; and whether or not courts should have the authority to compel individuals into undertaking mediation or other forms of ADR. This essay argues against courts having the power to compel litigants into mediation but may be afforded powers to encourage parties to go through mediation at first instance. This essay will base its arguments on whether courts should compel civil litigants to follow the ADR route upon the perceived advantages of ADR and its success rate. The contention of this essay is not that mediation is inappropriately used to settle
Throughout the years there has been many definitions of mediation. Nevertheless one the most acceptable definition of mediation refers to this procedure as a “…process in which the participants, with the support of a mediator, identify issues, develop options, consider alternatives and make decisions about future actions…” . They also described mediators as the third party assisting the participants in reaching their decision. This process should form a part of the pre-trial civil litigation process as its advantages on the legal system and the community outweigh its disadvantages. The distinguishing models of mediation make it a suitable approach for all or most civil cases.
An agreement to mediate future disputes means that the parties want to present their side to a mediator, a third party who is neutral. This mediator’s
This paper will cover the difference in the negotiation process and the mediation process and explore some of the barriers that hinder the processes. There is a distinct difference between the negotiation process and the mediation process. Negotiation as defined in Essentials of Negotiation is a process by which two or more parties attempt to resolve their opposing interests (Lewicki, Saunders, and Barry, ) The Negotiation process happens when individuals disagree about a situation and there’s no mutual solution that can be attain by the two parties. The disagreement leads to a conflict which involves misinterpretation, miscommunication and hurt feelings. Because the parties cannot reach a mutual agreement on how to resolve their