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The Hong Kong Mediation Centre
was set up in 1999 and now has about 120
members. It provides training and accreditation for mediators and works in
conjunction with local universities and other professional institutions. It also helps
with appointments of mediators. In its submission to the Working Party, it stressed
the importance of the voluntary nature of mediation and stated its belief that further
education on mediation for users of the civil justice system is vital to the further
development of mediation in Hong Kong.
The Academy of Experts also trains mediators in Hong Kong and is accredited by both
the HKMC and the Law Society for this purpose. In its submission, it offered to
provide training services, including training sessions for judges.
In the Working Party's view, the existing resources provide a basic infrastructure
sufficient to support the adoption in principle of an appropriate scheme of court-
annexed mediation. If adopted, active steps would have to be taken to provide judges
and lawyers with appropriate training in a systematic manner and to promote
improvements in the skill and experience of mediators. Consultation involving all
interested institutions and parties would also be necessary to establish the detailed
framework of such a scheme, as discussed further below. Moreover, any such scheme
should be introduced on a pilot basis subject to evaluation after an initial period.
Approached in the manner indicated, the Working Party does not accept the lack of
infrastructure point as a basis for rejecting court-annexed mediation.
Notes
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