Singapore: Written Answer by Minister for Law on Proposal to Make Mediation Between Disputing Neighbours Mandatory Given Success Rate

Question:

To ask the Minister for Law in view that less than 30% of applications at the Community Mediation Centre involving disputes between neighbours had proceeded to mediation in the last three years and the high success rate of the amicable resolution of more than 80% of such mediated cases, whether the Ministry will consider making such mediation compulsory upon an application to reduce any long-drawn or escalated disputes between neighbours.

Written Answer:

1. To further strengthen the community’s capacity to resolve disputes, MinLaw, MND, and MCCY are looking at mandating community mediation for certain categories of cases, as part of our review of the Community Dispute Management Framework (CDMF).

2. For instance, frontline officers could mandate mediation for certain types of community disputes. Long-drawn or escalated disputes between neighbours may fall under this category.

3. We are also looking at mandating re-mediation for cases where voluntary mediation was previously attempted and parties arrived at an amicable resolution, but the dispute resurfaces later. With the history of an amicable resolution through mediation, there is value in mandating mediation for such cases.

4. Some concerns about mandatory mediation have been raised during public engagement on the CDMF. This includes the risk of potential retaliation, and abuse by those insisting on mediation without genuine intent to resolve the dispute. The Government is studying the feedback and ways to address the concerns. More details on the proposals to introduce mandatory mediation for suitable cases will be shared in due course.

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