UK APPG for ADR session

On Wednesday 7th September, the alternative dispute resolution all-party parliamentary group (ADR APPG) met for two hours in 1 Parliament St to discuss the currently open Ministry of Justice consultation. The consultation was regarding the Government’s proposals to increase the use of mediation in the civil justice system.

Themes for the APPG questions posed by John Howell MP, Chair, included: should there be exceptions (and in which circumstances) from mandated mediation, should mediators be regulated and/or accredited (and what form should this take), the merits of appointing a sole regulator for mediators or accreditation through professional bodies and whether a national standard for mediators should be introduced. Additionally, the APPG considered the possible impact of dual regulation in cases where mediators are regulated through professions such as solicitors through the SRA or barristers through the Bar Standards Board.

Whilst CIArb develops and finalises our own submission to the consultation, we strongly encourage you to respond to the consultation individually as well. There are a few core questions within the consultation that we would like our members to focus on, so if you are writing a response, please see our previous post with a brief outline of what to focus on here. Once your submission is ready, please send it to Disputeresolution.enquiries.evidence@justice.gov.uk by the deadline of 4 October 2022, and feel free to forward your response to us. Should you have any questions on the consultation, please don’t hesitate to reach out and we will assist.

All-Party Parliamentary Groups (APPGs) are informal cross-party groups that have no official status within Parliament. They are run by and for Members of the Commons and Lords, though many choose to involve individuals and organisations from outside Parliament in their administration and activities.

The Chartered Institute of Arbitrators (CIArb) act as the Secretariat to the ADR APPG.