site.btaGovernment Approves Key Revisions to Mediation Act

The Government approved Wednesday a draft Bill to Amend and Supplement the Mediation Act. One of the key factors for the efficiency of the judiciary is related to the need to regulate the workload of the courts on which the quality and speed of justice depends to a great extent. Mediation is one of the means to overcome the uneven workload of the courts, leading to savings of resources and time and reducing the administrative burden of proceedings. 

The aim of the proposed amendments, which include the establishment of judicial mediation centres and the introduction of compulsory mediation in certain civil and commercial disputes, is to institutionalise efforts for voluntary dispute settlement with a view to achieve speed by avoiding the significantly longer and more complex court procedure. This will also strike a balance between the interests of the parties. Assisted by the mediator, they will be involved in the final settlement of the relationship at issue.

The culture of settlement as a way of resolving disputes, which has been very poorly known, will be established as a result of the amendments. It will also increase the use of out-of-court mediation, which will also safeguard the interests of the parties.