Calls growing for Wales to establish dispute resolution hub: Skills for Justice

There is significant demand for a physical and/or virtual dispute resolution hub in Cardiff with ‘spokes’ in Swansea and Wrexham, a feasibility study by Skills for Justice has suggested.

Such a hub could build on the model used by the Scottish Arbitration Centre which has put Scotland at the forefront of arbitration, the report said. Its research was conducted amongst mediators, lawyers, government departments, trainers, academics, employer organisations and professional organisatins.

According to the organisation, the mediation and dispute resolution sectors – including arbitration, conciliation, and other emerging practices – needed to “collaborate, further professionalise and raise public access to justice”.

A survey of more than 2,000 people, conducted as part of its research, found that while the majority (67%) of the general public were aware of mediation, only a small proportion (7%) were using the process to resolve issues.

Skills for Justice argued that – with calls to reduce the numbers of cases which are taken to courts and tribunals and changes to the legal aid system – mediation was “emerging as a solution which can help thousands of people every year and reduce the burden on the taxpayer”.

It claimed that dispute resolution provision had already proved successful in areas such as youth offending and housing provision. The organisation also pointed to compulsory mediation assessments in publicly-funded family cases and an EU directive on dispute resolution that will be introduced in 2015.

Alison Merrifield, Programme Lead at Skills for Justice, said: “This presents an opportunity to position Wales as a leader in mediation and dispute resolution. Mediation and dispute resolution are somewhat immature industries which now need to grow up quickly, establish themselves, and become more business-like. The evidence from this research suggests the time is right for the establishment of a dispute resolution hub.”

She added: “A hub will provide a central point of contact - in person, by telephone or via a website - for all disputes across all sectors. It will be a gateway to information, knowledge, choice and support for clients and professionals alike. It will alleviate confusion and put all forms of managing a dispute, including litigation, on a level playing field offering real and open choice for all.”

Merrifield acknowledged that current demand for mediation services across the board was low. However, she argued that there remained a large number of disputes, “so potential demand could be high”.

The Skills for Justice called for a five-year business plan to be drawn up. The project was funded by the Sector Priorities Fund Pilot as part of the European Social Fund through the Welsh Government.