Mediation is to be championed by a new all-party parliamentary group on alternative dispute resolution (ADR).
Its objective is to “change the climate and culture of dispute resolution in the UK”, raise awareness of dispute resolution processes and influence government policy across all sectors and departments.
The group cites a recent Ministry of Justice survey that found that, among defended claims which make up 2.5%–3% of all claims that were lodged with the courts during 2014, the majority were first time litigants (82%), who would have preferred to settle their dispute out of court. Even so, only 23% of litigants tried formal mediation, a further 14% considered it and 43% did not consider it.
The group said this survey identifies a clear need to make information available to potential litigants at an early stage.
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