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23 June 2017 / Nikki Nang Nilar
Issue: 7751 / Categories: Features , Profession , Arbitration , ADR
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Mind the ADR knowledge gap

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Promoting ADR mechanisms can enable a fair, just & efficient way of resolving disputes as Nikki Nang Nilar explains

The alternative dispute resolution (ADR) sector in the UK has experienced significant growth since the Woolf reforms of the late 1990s and the pre-action protocols and Civil Procedure Rules (CPR) of the civil justice system promoted its use. Despite this, ADR is not working to its full potential with many small businesses and individuals still unaware of its possibilities.

The Chartered Institute of Arbitrators (CIArb) played a key role in drawing up plans for a Small Business Commissioner who would promote ADR as an adjunct to the courts and enable swifter and more cost-effective access to justice. The government introduced this as part of the Enterprise Bill and a recruitment drive is now under way. However, there remains scant knowledge about these plans by businesses as well as by many ADR professionals as research conducted by the CIArb shows.

Education strategy

With the government having consulted on its green paper Building our Industrial

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