Events & Speeches

Mediation Week 1998

14 to 18 September 1998

Mediation Week 1998 was held from 14 to 18 September 1998, both dates inclusive. It is modeled after the "Settlement Week" programmes in Australia, during which disputes are actively encouraged to resolve their disputes through free mediation consultants.
The SMC's offer to waive the usual mediation fees of at least $70 per party per day and the one-time administration fee of $250 during Mediation Week 1998 was accepted by a total of 145 disputants.



 

Statistics for Mediation Week 1998: Cases referred: 46 Cases disposed: 41 Cases settled: 33 out of 41 Cases not settled: 6 out of 41 Cases pending with open offers: 2 out of 41 The remaining 5 cases (46-41), 3 part-heard and 2 withdrawn

Of 255 cases disposed of:	Of 255 cases disposed of: Statistics SMC as a whole as at 28 Sep 1998: Cases referred: 308 Cases disposed: 255 Cases settled: 198 out of 255 Cases not settled: 53 out of 255 Cases pending with open offers: 4 out of 255 The remaining 55 cases (308-255), 6 part-heard, 33 withdrawn and 14 to be heard

The commemorative publication entitled "Our First Year at Finding Solutions Together" marks SMC's first anniversary and records its achievements in its first year. It also acknowledges the contributors of the SMC's supporters like its mediators, the Advisory Committee on Construction Mediation ("ACCOM"), the Singapore Information Technology Dispute Resolution Advisory Committee ("SITDRAC"), ADR-friendly law firms, and the SMC's local and foreign partners in ADR.
Including Mediation Week 1998, more than 300 cases have been referred to the SMC for mediation. Of the cases that have already been dealt with, the settlement rate has changed between 75% and 85%. The settlements secured so far are estimated to have saved Singapore more than $10,000,000 in terms of resources that would have to be deployed by the courts and the parties to resolve their disputed through litigation. A comprehensive network of counterparts in ADR has been established, both locally and abroad. To date, 19 professional and trade organisations have entered into Memoranda of Understanding with the SMC to promote the use of mediation in the resolution of disputes involving their members. About 222 law firms have referred cases to the SMC for mediation.

To date, the SMC has organised training programmes in negotiation, mediation and mediation advocacy for more thatn 650 persons. Of these, 96 are on its panel of mediators. The SMC's panel of mediators includes leading professionals from different disciplines, such as accountants, architects, bankers, computer engineers, lawyers, and quantity surveyors. Those from the legal profession include retired Judges and Judicial Commissioners and Senior Counsel. Respected professionals who are nominated by their peers for mediation training are appointed to the SMC's panel of mediators only after meeting stringent assessment criteria.