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Full-Text Articles in Law

Mediating Consumer Financial Disputes: Financial Industry Disputes Resolution Centre's Unique House Style, Eunice Chua, Beverly Wee Dec 2020

Mediating Consumer Financial Disputes: Financial Industry Disputes Resolution Centre's Unique House Style, Eunice Chua, Beverly Wee

Research Collection Yong Pung How School Of Law

The Financial Industry Disputes Resolution Centre (“FIDReC”) was established in August 2005 with the purpose of providing a low-cost avenue for consumers to resolve their disputes with financial institutions. This article seeks to outline the role of FIDReC and its processes and, at the same time, seeks to define the house style of mediation that has served FIDReC well over the years. This article also highlights some of the different techniques adopted by FIDReC mediators in the course of facilitating the mediation.


The Evolving Concept Of Access To Justice In Singapore’S Mediation Movement, Dorcas Quek Anderson Jun 2020

The Evolving Concept Of Access To Justice In Singapore’S Mediation Movement, Dorcas Quek Anderson

Research Collection Yong Pung How School Of Law

This article examines the key societal developments underpinning the growth of mediation in Singapore with the view to analysing the evolving conceptualisation of justice within mediation. The introduction of mediation corresponded with a shift from adversarial justice to an indigenous form of conciliatory justice, in which a respected mediator played an advisor role to the disputants and was trusted to ensure the fairness of the process. However, this trajectory was tempered by the need to ensure that Singapore mediation practice conformed with international practices concerning the protection of parties’ autonomy. The ambivalence concerning the mediator’s role has resulted in uncertainty …


Singapore Case Note: Enforceability Of Settlement Agreements, Nadja Alexander, Shou Yu Chong Dec 2019

Singapore Case Note: Enforceability Of Settlement Agreements, Nadja Alexander, Shou Yu Chong

Research Collection Yong Pung How School Of Law

Since the signing of the Singapore Convention on Mediation in August this year, there has been an increased interest on the enforceability of settlement agreements, particularly those arising from mediation. The case of Law Chau Loon v Alphire Group Pte Ltd [2019] SGHC 275 from the Singapore High Court provides us with some general legal principles to consider when a settlement agreement is drafted. Although mediation did not take place between the parties in dispute, the principles stated by the High Court here remain relevant to the drafting of binding mediated settlement agreements (MSAs). This case is essential reading for …


Un Treaty On Mediation Signed In Singapore, Nadja Alexander, Shou Yu Chong Dec 2019

Un Treaty On Mediation Signed In Singapore, Nadja Alexander, Shou Yu Chong

Research Collection Yong Pung How School Of Law

The Singapore Convention on Mediation is a multilateral treaty which offers a legal framework facilitating the circulation of international mediated settlement agreements (iMSAs) across national borders. The Singapore Convention achieves this by elevating iMSAs to the status of a new type of legal instrument recognised in international law: neither a contract nor a consent arbitral award, iMSAs that fall within the scope of, and that satisfy the conditions within, the Singapore Convention enjoy a unique status. As outlined below, the new Convention establishes a system for the recognition and enforcement of commercial iMSAs. This report is a follow up to …


The Singapore Convention On Mediation - A Brighter Future For Asian Dispute Resolution, Eunice Chua Jan 2019

The Singapore Convention On Mediation - A Brighter Future For Asian Dispute Resolution, Eunice Chua

Research Collection Yong Pung How School Of Law

On 26 June 2018, the UnitedNations Commission on International Trade Law (UNCITRAL) approved, largelywithout modification, the final drafts of the Convention on International SettlementAgreements Resulting from Mediation (the Singapore Convention) and amendmentsto the Model Law on International Commercial Mediation prepared by WorkingGroup II. These instruments aim to promote the enforceability of internationalcommercial settlement agreements reached through mediation in the same way thatthe New York Convention facilitates the recognition and enforcement ofinternational arbitration awards. This paper provides a critical analysis of theSingapore Convention and some commentary from an Asian perspective.


The Singapore Convention On Mediation - A Brighter Future For Asian Dispute Resolution, Eunice Chua Jan 2019

The Singapore Convention On Mediation - A Brighter Future For Asian Dispute Resolution, Eunice Chua

Research Collection Yong Pung How School Of Law

On 26 June 2018, the UnitedNations Commission on International Trade Law (UNCITRAL) approved, largelywithout modification, the final drafts of the Convention on International SettlementAgreements Resulting from Mediation (the Singapore Convention) and amendmentsto the Model Law on International Commercial Mediation prepared by WorkingGroup II. These instruments aim to promote the enforceability of internationalcommercial settlement agreements reached through mediation in the same way thatthe New York Convention facilitates the recognition and enforcement ofinternational arbitration awards. This paper provides a critical analysis of theSingapore Convention and some commentary from an Asian perspective.


How Should The Courts Know Whether A Dispute Is Ready And Suitable For Mediation? An Empirical Analysis Of The Singapore Courts’ Referral Of Civil Disputes To Mediation, Dorcas Quek Anderson, Eunice Chua, Tra My Ngo Aug 2018

How Should The Courts Know Whether A Dispute Is Ready And Suitable For Mediation? An Empirical Analysis Of The Singapore Courts’ Referral Of Civil Disputes To Mediation, Dorcas Quek Anderson, Eunice Chua, Tra My Ngo

Research Collection Yong Pung How School Of Law

In line with international developments in court-connected mediation, the Singapore courts have strongly supported the use of mediation and have taken steps to encourage litigants to attempt mediation. This article features the very first empirical analysis of the Singapore courts' referral of civil cases to mediation. Although focused on Singapore, the results of the study also inform the referral policies of other judiciaries that similarly engage in the practice of referring cases for mediation. The study uses a rigorous method to shed light on the crucial factors to be considered by the courts in referral practice and designing of mediation …


An Introduction To The Singapore Convention On Mediation: Perspectives From Singapore, Nadja Alexander, Shou Yu Chong Jan 2018

An Introduction To The Singapore Convention On Mediation: Perspectives From Singapore, Nadja Alexander, Shou Yu Chong

Research Collection Yong Pung How School Of Law

At the 51st Session of the United Nations (UN) Commission on International Trade Law (UNCITRAL) on 25th June 2018, the final draft of the Convention on the Enforcement of International Settlement Agreements (the ‘Convention’) was recommended for submission to the UN General Assembly for its consideration, and the corresponding Model Law was adopted. A resolution to name the Convention the ‘Singapore Convention on Mediation’ was also approved. This concluded three years of vigorous debate in UNCITRAL Working Group II (Dispute Settlement) with participation by 85 member States and 35 international governmental and non-governmental organisations. The UN General Assembly has adopted …


Managing The Inter-Cultural Dimensions Of A Mediation Effectively: A Proposed Pre-Mediation Intake Instrument, Dorcas Quek Anderson, Diana Knight May 2017

Managing The Inter-Cultural Dimensions Of A Mediation Effectively: A Proposed Pre-Mediation Intake Instrument, Dorcas Quek Anderson, Diana Knight

Research Collection Yong Pung How School Of Law

Being a culturally responsive mediator has become increasingly challenging amidst the growing cultural complexity within many societies. Drawing on the existing research on culture and the authors’ experiences of mediating disputes amongst diverse disputants in Australia and Singapore, this paper proposes an emic-constructivist approach for the mediator to understand the individual disputant’s unique cultural preferences. It also recommends bringing forward the exercise of understanding cultural preferences through conducting pre-mediation intake interviews. It is argued that this approach enables the mediator to embrace the parties’ cultural complexity and to design the mediation process based on their rich milieu of preferences. Finally, …


When To Turn To Mediation In Telco Disputes, Dorcas Quek Anderson Sep 2016

When To Turn To Mediation In Telco Disputes, Dorcas Quek Anderson

Research Collection Yong Pung How School Of Law

The Ministry of Communications and Information(MCI) proposed the introduction of an alternative dispute resolution schemeto assist telecos and consumers in resolving their disputes. The mediationprocess is likely to be used. In response to this suggestion, Straits Times’ Tech Editor MsIrene Tham questioned whether mediation goes far enough to settle telcodisputes. This op-ed discusses the basic principles involved in the mediation process, as well as when mediation is appropriate and conversely when it is not. Recommendations are made on how to decide on the appropriate mode of dispute resolution for a particular dispute.


The State Courts Centre For Dispute Resolution: Serving The Society With Quality Dispute Resolution Services, Dorcas Quek Anderson Jan 2016

The State Courts Centre For Dispute Resolution: Serving The Society With Quality Dispute Resolution Services, Dorcas Quek Anderson

Research Collection Yong Pung How School Of Law

Court Alternative Dispute Resolution (“ADR”) has its origins in a 1994 pilot project in the Subordinate Courts (as it was known then) to have selected District Judges assist in resolving civil disputes using ADR processes. Within two decades, Court ADR has been extended to the entire gamut of cases filed in court, including civil claims, minor criminal offences and family disputes. Court ADR services, which have been known as “Court Dispute Resolution”, have become integral to the delivery of justice in the State Courts. As the Honourable The Chief Justice Sundaresh Menon has observed, ADR has been promoted as the …


Von Fischen Im Wasser Und Andere Mediationserzählungen [Of Fish In Water And Other Mediation Stories] (In German), Nadja Alexander Oct 2015

Von Fischen Im Wasser Und Andere Mediationserzählungen [Of Fish In Water And Other Mediation Stories] (In German), Nadja Alexander

Research Collection Yong Pung How School Of Law

This essay offers an international and cross-cultural perspective on mediation. It builds on the contributions to this journal issue and extends the conversation to include (1) the role of culture in mediations models and (2) the taboo topic of directive, evaluative approaches. After reviewing various taxonomies of mediation models, the author’s mediation meta model is used as a framework to analyze diverse approaches of mediation including those presented in this issue. Historical-cultural perspectives provide further layers of depth and nuance that thicken the already complex storylines of the human mediation narrative. If mediation is to succeed in attaining truly global …


Mediation, Seng Onn Loong, Dorcas Quek Anderson Apr 2015

Mediation, Seng Onn Loong, Dorcas Quek Anderson

Research Collection Yong Pung How School Of Law

The mediation movement in Singapore was actively revived in the 1990s. Currently, mediation is not only used for private disputes but forms an integral part of the Singapore legal system. It is widely used as a mechanism of dispute resolution in courts, government departments, businesses and other specific industries.


No Alternative: Resolving Disputes Japanese Style, Eric Feldman Jan 2014

No Alternative: Resolving Disputes Japanese Style, Eric Feldman

All Faculty Scholarship

This article critiques the simple black/white categorisation of mainstream versus alternative dispute resolution, and argues that what is needed is a cartography of dispute resolution institutions that maps the full range of approaches and traces their interaction. It sketches the first lines of such a map by describing two examples of conflict resolution in Japan. Neither can justly be called “alternative”, yet neither fits the mould of what might be called mainstream or classical dispute resolution. One, judicial settlement, focuses on process; the other, compensating victims of the Fukushima disaster, engages a specific event. Together, they help to illustrate why …


Introducing A ‘Presumption Of Adr’ For Civil Matters In The Subordinate Courts, Joyce Low, Dorcas Quek Anderson May 2012

Introducing A ‘Presumption Of Adr’ For Civil Matters In The Subordinate Courts, Joyce Low, Dorcas Quek Anderson

Research Collection Yong Pung How School Of Law

This article traces the development of court ADR programmes in the SubordinateCourts for civil disputes. It also discusses the implications of a recent PracticeDirection introducing a “Presumption of ADR”.


Finding The Appropriate Mode Of Dispute Resolution: Introducing Neutral Evaluation In The Subordinate Courts, Dorcas Quek Anderson, Chi-Ling Seah Nov 2011

Finding The Appropriate Mode Of Dispute Resolution: Introducing Neutral Evaluation In The Subordinate Courts, Dorcas Quek Anderson, Chi-Ling Seah

Research Collection Yong Pung How School Of Law

The Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR) movement has gained significant traction over the last three decades and has been expanding at a rapid pace in many common law jurisdictions. The allure of ADR lies, in large part, in its recognition of litigants’ desire for self-determination and autonomy in resolving their disputes. ADR became even more attractive as dissatisfaction with the traditional court system grew. In the seminal Roscoe Pound Conference on Popular Causes of Dissatisfaction with the Administration of Justice in USA, the changing role of the courts was highlighted, casting ADR further into the spotlight.i Instead of offering only adjudication …


From Communities To Corporations: The Growth Of Mediation In Sri Lanka, Nadja Alexander Apr 2001

From Communities To Corporations: The Growth Of Mediation In Sri Lanka, Nadja Alexander

Research Collection Yong Pung How School Of Law

In this article I will outline the development of modern mediation in Sri Lanka. I use the term mediation to mean facilitative mediation. Accordingly, for the purposes of this article, mediation does not include processes such as conciliation or evaluative mediation, which are used in Sri Lanka, for example in industrial dispute resolution practice.


From Communities To Corporations: The Growth Of Mediation In Sri Lanka, Nadja Alexander Apr 2001

From Communities To Corporations: The Growth Of Mediation In Sri Lanka, Nadja Alexander

Research Collection Yong Pung How School Of Law

In this article I will outline the development of modern mediation in Sri Lanka. I use the term mediation to mean facilitative mediation. Accordingly, for the purposes of this article, mediation does not include processes such as conciliation or evaluative mediation, which are used in Sri Lanka, for example in industrial dispute resolution practice.