As was reported in the Law Society Gazette last month, "Proposals for a regulation regime for mediation faltered last week when mediators told the Civil Mediation Council (CMC) they need more time to consider ‘ambitious’ plans.
However members of the organisation, which represents civil and commercial mediators, approved a scheme to register workplace mediators to meet the needs of the Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform.
The scheme will go live early in the new year and be the first point of contact for people wanting to find a mediator under provisions in the new Employment Act
More radical proposals to introduce voluntary registration schemes for mediation organisations, mediators, codes of good practice and a complaints review body were not carried.
The proposals were not voted on, but the 80-strong meeting was agreed that the consultation period be extended to 31 January 2009. The amended proposals will be debated at a special meeting on 31 March. Members acknowledged the huge amount of time that had gone into drafting the reforms."
In my view regulation is a necessary step. There is too much at stake for the parties to avoid regulation. There is some good analysis over on the Mediator Magazine.
Hopefully more consulation can take place. Having looked at the proposals they do not appear unreasonable.
Justin Law, mediator
Human Law Mediation