Mediation bodies seal international alliance in Singapore to improve standards
28 April 2021
Five groups from across globe team up to promote cross-cultural awareness and improve training
Singapore Shutterstock Five international mediation training bodies have signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) in Singapore aimed at raising international mediation standards. The group has pledged ‘to develop mediation into a recognised and viable profession’ in a move that builds on the Singapore Convention on Mediation, which came into force last September and which allows for the easier enforcement by national courts of international settlement agreements, much as the New York Convention does for arbitration awards.
ICC celebrates record year for arbitration and mediation caseloads
14 January 2021
ICC celebrates record year for arbitration and mediation caseloads
Records fall as Paris body hails 9% increase in arbitration cases while its ADR centre registers its 400th case
Chrisdorney; Shutterstock Paris-based ICC’s International Court of Arbitration has reported a strong year in 2020 with 946 new cases, of which 929 were requested under its own rules, the highest figure achieved to date. The overall tally is the largest for four years and represents a 9% increase from 2019, when 869 cases were received, of which 851 were appointed under ICC rules. The rise in cases is part of a global trend with London, Singapore and Dubai all recording significant increases in referrals.
Rachel Rothwell
With many clients now struggling financially and the courts as keen as ever to wield the proportionality scythe, lawyers need to find new ways to bring down the cost of litigating. All eyes are turned to technology to provide the answers.
We have already seen how the pandemic has turbo-charged the use of technology within the court system, with the widespread use of virtual court hearings and electronic bundles. Meanwhile, law firms have geared themselves up for remote working with admirable agility. These developments will clearly deliver lasting cost benefits that endure well beyond the pandemic.
But when it comes to running litigation, technology has a lot more to offer than this.