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In an effort to reduce the backlog of 500 native title claims, the Australian parliament has amended the Native Title Act to strengthen mediation and give the Federal Court power over the mediation process and the ability to deal with recalcitrant parties. One senator raised concerns about mediators being given coercive powers by the amendment, especially since the legislation does not define who can be a mediator or require any particular qualifications or accountability, while other senators felt the amendments did not go far enough.
SMH.com.au (September 14, 2009)
The New South Wales Court of Appeals in Newcastle City Council v. Wieland, NSWCA 113 (NSW, Australia 2009), concluded that court-ordered mediation expenses generally should be treated as legitimate costs of the proceedings, since the mediation is a required step. If the parties wish to ensure that each pays its own mediation costs, they must make that clear by agreement.
Mondaq (May 27, 2009) (Subscription Required)
A report on mediation in the Supreme and County courts in Australia shows that use of mediation is steadily increasing. All civil cases before the Supreme Court are now being sent to mediation, where judge-led mediations are being used. A pilot mediation program in Magistrates Court has been extended and expanded from all cases under A$10,000 to all those under A$40,000. The author of the report noted that 80% of mediation participants are satisfied with the process, but that some cases need to be referred to mediation earlier.
The Age (April 2, 2009)
Australia is pressing the International Cricket Council to include a mediation process in cases of racial conflict among players, following the Australian Football League which introduced a mediation code and won a U.N. award. Under Cricket Australia’s proposal, mediation would be given a chance to bring reconciliation between bickering players, and the matter would only proceed to a formal tribunal if mediation was not successful.
Yahoo India News (July 10, 2008)
A litigation funding company in Australia provides resources in carefully selected cases to individuals and small businesses involved in disputes with larger entities who may try to use their advantage in resources to obtain procedural wins or force unfair settlements. The funding company sees itself as helping to level power imbalances, but selects only cases it feels are likely to generate a good return. The managing director believes mediation is the best option for resolving business disputes, but that mediation works better when the smaller party has options.
Sydney Morning Herald (June 7, 2008)
Australian Supreme and County Courts will be able to send cases to mediation for the first time in a pilot project being started in Victoria, which will include large commercial disputes. Based on a Canadian model, senior judges will be involved to give the mediation process their imprimatur. The project is allocated A$3.7 million in the current budget package for the judicial system. In addition, the budget includes a A$5.8 million expansion of the mediation program in Magistrate Court and A$6.2 million to expand alternative dispute resolution regionally in Victoria.
The Age (May 4, 2008)
Australia’s longest-serving attorney general is urging that mediation “take center stage” in the reforms of Victoria’s legal system which are under way. The Victorian Law Reform Commission proposed introducing pre-action protocols, which may include mandatory mediation, in recommendations presented to the attorney general.
The Australian (March 7, 2008)
The Victorian Small Business Commission uses its broad investigative powers and mediation to end unfair market practices and bullying of small businesses by larger companies. The Australian agency has increasingly focused on franchising relationships, along with retail tenancy disputes and other contract issues. The Commission encourages mediation as a way to resolve conflicts without necessarily ruining relationships. The Commission has dealt with 4,000 complaints since the office opened in 2003 and resolved about 80% before or at mediation. The Commission also encourages companies to avoid conflict by utilizing specified practices to sustain good working relationships.
My Small Business (December 17, 2007)
Western Australia’s Supreme Court began a pilot program to mediate criminal cases last November, and is now expanding its “criminal case conferencing” program by covering more serious crimes, including murder and armed robbery, and appointing a second mediator. Mediation occurs only with the consent of the accused and victims (or secondary victims in the case of murder). While possible outcomes of mediation include agreements to substitute charges, obtaining admissions that will shorten the trial, and solutions that avoid trial altogether, the program is not plea bargaining. Further, as with civil mediation, mediation communications cannot be used in any later trial and the mediation is entirely separate from the court proceedings. The Supreme Court is the highest court in the state and deals with serious criminal charges and large civil cases.
Australian (July 13, 2007)(Subscription Required)
With arbitration becoming more like litigation, more reinsurers in Australia are turning to clauses in their contracts with insurers that require disputes to be resolved through mediation or expert determination. The trend is toward including both mediation and arbitration clauses in reinsurance contracts, with arbitration occurring only if mediation fails fully to resolve a dispute. Australian courts are encouraging parties to use mediation, which influences the way contracts are drafted. However, parties need to understand the benefits and limitations of mediation and other forms of alternative dispute resolution before incorporating the provisions in contracts. Reinsurers may be more comfortable incorporating mediation clauses in contracts with sophisticated insurers and relying on arbitration provisions with those less sophisticated.
Mondaq (October 31, 2006)
The Australian government has selected a firm to provide mediation services throughout the country to assist the Produce and Grocery Industry Ombudsman. The Produce and Grocery Industry receives subsidized dispute resolution services under its Code. The mediation firm’s contract is overseen by the Department of Industry, Tourism and Industry, which is instituting a nationwide public awareness campaign of the Ombudsman and the Code.
Industry, Tourism and Resources, Australia (August 31, 2006)
Participants from India, Australia, Malaysia, Japan, Hong Kong, Cambodia, Vietnam and the Philippines attended the Asia Pacific Conference on Contemporary Trends in Mediation and Arbitration in Kuala Lumpur in mid-July. The keynote address by Malaysian Chief Justice Ahmad Fairuz stated that his country is considering mediation legislation which would cover both voluntary and court-directed mediation in order to reduce court backlogs. The Chief Justice emphasized that courts around the world struggle to keep up with expanding caseloads and noted the successful use of mediation in Singapore, the United Kingdom, Canada and Australia. The conference was organized by the International Islamic University Malaysia and an arbitration center.
Bernama General News (July 18, 2006) (Subscription Required)
An intense three-day mediation resulted in the return to Huon Corporation of business assets by the company’s managing director, Charles Shultz. Mr. Shultz had transferred the assets to private trusts while putting Huon Corporation in receivership last month. The return of the assets will enable the company to satisfy obligations to employees of its three businesses and potentially to sell the businesses as going concerns. The successful court-ordered mediation avoided a costly pending action in the Australian Supreme Court.
The Advertiser (August 3, 2006); The Advertiser (Bendigo) (August 2, 2006)
5/06: AU: The times are a changing – when it comes to selecting a mediator The selection criteria for in-house counsel choosing mediators is 'a-changin'. A survey of in-house dispute resolution counsel from 76 arge international corporations focused on what criteria the counsel used when selecting a mediator. The results highlighted that almost half of the counsel who responded to the survey don't consider the legal expertise of the mediator as a relevant factor when selecting a mediator. The majority of respondents felt that the core area of expertise of the mediator was a more important factor. read
Empowering elderly people to maintain the quality of their lives and not become victims of abuse and discrimination is one of the aims of a conference being held at the University of South Australia. The Sixth Annual World Summit on Mediation with Age Related Issues is a joint venture between UniSA and the Elder Mediation International Network (EMIN), designed to increase awareness of the benefits of mediation, highlighting global examples of best practice in elder mediation. read
Police have dropped an assault charge against Australian fullback Kurtley Beale after he reached an agreement through mediation with his victim. read
A mediator in talks between the Ports of Auckland and the Maritime Union over a protracted industrial dispute has given the parties his recommendations. read
Less serious cases of sexual offending could be better dealt with in a mediated, restorative justice setting. read
There are five important changes brought about by the new commercial arbitration regime of which parties and practitioners should take particular note. read
Complaints to the Fair Work Ombudsman have soared in the last year with the Ombudsman's annual report published yesterday revealing last year there were 26,366 complaints, up from 21,890 in the previous year. Of these complaints, 28,412 were finalised and only 51 of those complaints actually proceeded to court. Instead, most complaints were settled at a mediation stage, with the FWO's mediation program resolving 83% of the 608 workplace disputes it dealt with in the first four months of the 12-month pilot. read
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