MII Forum in Support of McCarthy Recommendations
The Mediators’ Institute of Ireland (The MII) held a discussion forum on 18 January 2010 to consider how mediation can be used in and between Government parties as recommended by the McCarthy report and in the wider area of civil and commercial disputes.
There was good attendance at the MII forum, with representation from Government Departments, the judiciary, employment representative bodies and the professions. The panel discussions included information in relation to mediation and where and how it can effectively be used, the ongoing work of the Law Reform Commission in relation to the statutory requirements for mediation and there was especial interest in the figures from the Court Services which identified €31,637,301 in costs allowed by the Taxing Master for High Court cases settled in 2008 as representing only a very small fraction of the legal costs of cases in the High Court in the 12 month period from January to December 2008.
In light of the new Circuit Court Progression rules which came into effect on 1 January 2010 which allow for a broader use of mediation in the Circuit Court, and the increasing use of mediation in cases in the Commercial Court, the level of attendance and engagement by key decision makers with this forum bodes well for the public purse.
