Help shape CIArb’s response to the UK Government’s mediation proposals

On Monday 25 July 2022, the UK Government published a consultation on its proposals to increase the use of mediation in the civil justice system.

CIArb is developing its submission to the consultation and invites you, our members, to come forward with any viewpoints you would like to share with us on these proposals. We are committed to representing the views of our members and strongly encourage you to take this opportunity to help shape our response. Please send your points via email to Alexandra Braby (Policy and External Affairs Manager) at abraby@ciarb.org by Monday 12 September 2022 at the latest.

In our initial response, available here, Catherine Dixon, CIArb Director General said:

“Unlocking the full value of mediation and other alternatives to court, is the central purpose of CIArb, so we are pleased the government is committed to a vision of a justice system in which mediation is integral. However, as we have always emphasised, the evidence shows that to be effective, mediation must be properly funded and rooted in high professional standards based. Free 1-hour telephone sessions can only ever make a small contribution to this vision, and so we would welcome government’s focus on the long-term ambition of embedding mediation across the civil justice system as a whole. This is what will improve outcomes for parties, reduce costs in the court system, and enable economic growth.”

We encourage all interested members to submit their own responses to the consultation individually as well. The consultation itself will close on 11:59pm on Tuesday 4 October 2022.