Question reference: S5W-33870
- Asked by: Alexander Burnett, MSP for Aberdeenshire West, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
- Date lodged: 7 December 2020
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Current status: Answered by Ash Denham on 18 December 2020
Question
To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on the actions being taken by the Scottish Dispute Resolution Delivery Group.
Answer
The Scottish Government response to the Report of the Independent Review of Mediation in the Civil Justice System in Scotland confirmed our intention to work with key stakeholders on a collaborative basis to understand fully the implications of the proposals before making decisions on reform.
We established a Dispute Resolution Group consisting of key organisations and agencies representing a wide range of interests including dispute resolution organisations, Scottish Courts and Tribunal Service and consumer bodies to develop and shape an evidence based package of reform aimed at mainstreaming the use of mediation in the civil justice system in Scotland.
The Group held two meetings in early 2020 but the work of the Group had to be paused in March 2020 due to the combined pressures of preparing for EU exit and responding to COVID-19. Meetings of the Dispute Resolution Delivery Group resumed at the end of September 2020 but the delay has inevitably had a detrimental impact on the programme of work by the Group. However, the Group will continue to support the development of a consultation paper for future publication.