Mediation Act

Mediation Act Scope

Mediation act 2017 was designed to provide a single legal framework for mediation. Mediation is an alternative method of dispute resolution court proceedings. It Seeks to reduce costs, relieve stress and acrimony and and speed up dispute resolution.

“mediation” is defined as a  confidential, facilitative and voluntary process in which parties to a dispute, with the assistance of a mediator, attempt to reach a mutually acceptable agreement to resolve the dispute;

The mediation act framework is additional to other legal provisions providing for mediation and other alternative dispute resolution

Participation in mediation is voluntary. A party may withdraw at any time. Mediation may take place before or after proceedings have issued and at any time before the dispute is resolved.

Non-Application

The  legislation  does  not apply  to certain  types of proceedings,

•  proceedings under the  Arbitration  Act,
• disputes arising within  an employment  context  referred  to statutory  dispute-resolution processes such as those provided  by the  Workplace  Relations  Commission;
• matters under tax and customs legislation;
• proceedings under the Child Care  Acts or the Domestic  Violence  Acts.
• judicial review proceedings and proceedings against the State in respect of alleged infringements  of  fundamental  rights  and  freedoms.

Participation

A party  may  be  accompanied  by another  person (including  a  legal  adviser) who is not  a  party  to  the  mediation .  It  is a   a  matter  for  the  parties  themselves  to  determine  the outcome of the mediation.  Both the mediator  and the parties are, however, required  to  make  every  reasonable  effort  to  conclude  the  mediation  in  an expeditious manner in order to minimise the costs involved.

A mediator may withdraw from the mediation at any time during the mediation  by notice  in writing to the parties  stating the mediator’s general  reasons for the withdrawal.  This could arise, for example,  from  the  emergence  of  a  possible  conflict  of  interests  for  the mediator during the mediation. Fees paid in advance to any extent are to be refunded. These are not to be contingent on the outcome under any circumstances.

Agreement & Confidentiality

Before commencement mediation the parties concerned and proposed mediator are to sign an agreement to mediate document. This is to appoint a mediator and also to deal with the following

• he manner in which the mediation is to be conducted;
• the manner in which the fees and costs of the mediation will be paid;
• the place and time at which the mediation is to be conducted;
• the fact that the mediation is to be conducted in a confidential manner;
• the right of each of the parties to seek legal advice;
• the manner in which the mediation may be terminated;
•  such other terms (if any) as may be agreed between the parties and the mediator.

There is a  general  confidentiality  obligation  on  the  mediator and  parties  to  a  mediation.  This  does not,  , apply  where  disclosure is necessary in order to implement or enforce a mediation  settlement or  is  otherwise  required  by  law.  Disclosure  may  also  be  justified  where necessary to prevent physical or psychological  injury to a party or to prevent  commission  or  concealment  of  a  crime.

Role  of the  Mediator.

Prior to  the  commencement of the mediation, the  mediator is  to  make  reasonable  enquiries to  determine  whether  he  or  she  may  have  any  actual  or  potential  conflict of  interest;  a  mediator  may  not  act  in  the  event  of  such  a  conflict.

The mediator  must  supply  details  of  qualifications,  training,  experience  and  anycode  of  practice  to  which  he  or  she  adheres  and  act  with  impartiality  and integrity throughout the mediation. It  is   a  matter for the  parties  themselves  to  determine  the  outcome of the  mediation  and  the  mediator should not  normally  make  any proposals to the parties  to resolve the dispute.

Nonetheless,  the mediator  may, at the express request of all  of the parties, make proposals to resolve the dispute but it will be a matter  for the parties themselves  to determine  whether to accept any such proposals.

Enforceability  of Mediation  Settlements

It is a matter  for the parties  themselves  to determine  if and when a mediation  settlement  has been  reached  between  them  and  whether  it  is to be enforceable between them.  Where a mediation  settlement  is reached, it will operate as a contract  between the parties to the settlement except where  it  is  expressly  stated  to  have  no  legal  force  until  incorporated into  a  formal  legal  agreement  or contract  to  be signed  by the  parties.

A court may enforce the terms of a mediation settlement  subject  to certain  safeguards. It may, for example,  refuse to do so  if  satisfied  that  the  mediation  settlement  does  not  adequately  protect  the rights and entitlements  of the parties, or any dependents, or where a party to  the  mediation  settlement  has  been  unduly  influenced  any  other  party  in reaching  the  settlement.

Where  a  mediation  settlement  relates  to  a  child,  the court must have regard to the best interests of the child as the paramount consideration.

Oversight and Regulation

Many of  those  who practice   as mediators,  e.g.  lawyers, barristers,  accountants,  engineers,  etc.  are  already  subject  to the  regulatory structures of their own professions.  The legislation does not set out  a  comprehensive  regulatory  structure  for  mediators.

Matters relating  to  the  ethical  standards,  confidentiality,  redress  procedures  etc. applicable  to  mediators  are to  be set  out in  codes  of practice  prepared  and published by the Minister or approved by the Minister having been prepared by another  person or body.

A mediator  is required  to furnish a copy of any code of practice  to which he or she adheres to the parties  in order  to ensure  that  they  are  aware  of the  standards  to  which  the mediator has committed

Codes of Practice

The Minister for Justice may make  codes of practice  which  may, inter  alia, contain  provisions in relation  to matters  such as

• continuous  professional development
• requirements  for mediators;
• procedures  to  be  followed  during mediation;
• ethical  standards  for  mediators;
• confidentiality  obligations; and  redress procedures  in  the  event  of dissatisfaction  with  the  conduct  of a mediation.

Alternatively, the Minister may approve a code of practice prepared  by another  person or body (e.g.  mediation  body).  The  procedures for putting codes of practice in place are  provided in the legislation.

Duty of Solicitor before Litigation

A practicing solicitors must before issuing proceedings on behalf of the client  advise clients to consider mediation  as an alternative to court proceedings. For this purpose, they must provide clients  with information on mediation  services,  including  details  of mediators,  information  about  the advantages  and  benefits  of  mediation,  and  information  on  confidentiality obligations and the enforceability of mediation  settlements.

Where court proceedings  are instituted  on behalf  of a client,  the  application  must be accompanied  by  a  statutory  declaration  made  by  the  solicitor  confirming that  these obligations have been discharged in relation  to the client  and the proceedings  to which the declaration  relates.  If the declaration  is not submitted,  the court will adjourn the proceedings  until  the solicitor complies with the requirements.

There are similar  obligations  in relation  to practising  barristers.  It  would apply  in  circumstances  in  which  a  practising barrister  may  in  future  be  permitted,  under  relevant  provisions  of  the  Legal Services Regulation  Act 2015, to issue proceedings on behalf of a client who is not represented by a practising solicitor.

Role of Court in Mediation

A court may, on application  by a party to proceedings  or of its own motion where it considers it appropriate  to do so, invite the  parties  to the  proceedings  to consider  mediation  as a means of attempting to resolve the dispute before the court. For this purpose, it may  provide  the  parties  with  information  about  the  benefits  of  mediation.

Where the parties decide to engage in mediation,  the proceedings may be adjourned. Where the  parties  decide  to engage  in mediation and subsequently apply  to the  court to re-enter  the  proceedings,  the mediator will  be  required  to  make  a  report  to  the  court  outlining  the  outcome  of  the mediation.

Where the court has invited the parties to engage in mediation,  the court  may,  where  it  considers  it  just  to  do  so, take  into  account any  unreasonable  refusal  or failure  by a  party  to  consider  using mediation, or to attend mediation, when awarding costs in such proceedings.

A court of its own motion may  direct the parties in a personal injuries action to meet to discuss and attempt  to settle the action by means of mediation.

The  period  of time  during  which  mediation  took place is disregarded  for the purpose of a limitation  period under the Statute of Limitations.

Mediation Stay Proceedings

Where the  parties have entered into an agreement to mediate but one or more of them commences legal  proceedings in  respect  of the  dispute  to  which  the  agreement  applies. The other party may apply to court to adjourn the proceedings. The court shall make an order adjourning such proceedings if it is satisfied that

• there is not sufficient reason why the dispute in respect of which the proceedings have been commenced should not be dealt with in accordance with the agreement to mediate, and
• the applicant party was at the time when the proceedings were commenced, and still remains, ready and willing to do all things necessary for the proper implementation of the agreement to mediate.

Fees  and  costs  of  Mediation

The agreement  to  mediate  should specify  the  manner  in  which  the  fees  and costs of mediation  will be paid. Such fees and costs must be reasonable and proportionate  to  the  importance  and  complexity  of  the  issues at  stake  and the amount of work undertaken by the mediator. U

Unless otherwise ordered by a court or agree the party shall pay the fees and costs as agreed in the agreement or shall share the same equally.

Mediation Council

The legislation allows for the possible future establishment  of a body to be known as the  Mediation  Council  of Ireland. Where  the  Minister  is  satisfied  that  a  body  complies  with the minimum standards set out in the Schedule to the  legislation and is, at the same  time,  sufficiently  representative  of  mediation  interests  involved  in the mediation  sector, he or she may make an order declaring  that that body will  be  recognised  for the  purposes of the  legislation  as  the  Mediation Council  of  Ireland.

Such  a  body  would  then  undertake  the  functions  set out , including  the promotion of public awareness on the  availability  and operation  of mediation  services, and the  development  of standards  in  the  provision  of mediation  services.

It would also take on the task of preparing codes of practice  for approval by the Minister and the establishment of a register of mediators who have subscribed to such a code. It is intended  that  such a Council  would be funded from fees calculated in accordance with its own rules.

The Mediation Council of Ireland would, if established,  be independent  in the  performance  of its  functions, and would consist of not less than  11 members  (5 of whom would be representative  of bodies promoting mediation  services or representing  the interests  of  mediators  and  6  of  whom,  including  the  chairperson,  would represent the public interest).

Mediation Information Sessions

In its 2010 Report, the  Law Reform  Commission  underlined  the potential  benefits  of  mediation  in  family  law  proceedings  as  an  alternative to  adversarial  court  proceedings  and  recommended  that  parties  be  required to attend  information  sessions in advance  of the  commencement  of such proceedings  during  which  the  benefits  and  advantages  of  mediation  could be explained.

The Minister for Justice  may, for the purpose of ensuring the availability of such sessions at  a  reasonable  cost  and  in  suitable  locations,  prepare  and  publish a scheme for the delivery  of such sessions,  or approve a scheme for the delivery of such sessions by another person or body.  The Legal  Aid Board is, e,  already  involved  in  the  provision  of a  free  family  mediation service. Details  of the  procedure  for adopting  such a scheme are set out in  the legislation.

The legislation contemplates that that mediation information sessions may be made compulsory for parties in where  it  is  claimed  that  a  testator  has  failed  in  his  or  her moral  duty to make proper provision for the child,  and where  in  the  case of  a  surviving  civil  partner  it  is  claimed that provision should be made for a child out of the deceased’s estate.