Compulsory mediation can work - but can it be free?
Henrietta Jackson-Stops explores how the UK’s Civil Mediation Council supports the push for compulsory mediation, emphasising its high success rate and significant cost and time savings for litigants and the wider justice system. However, it raises concerns about the expectation that such mediation should be free or low-cost, arguing that investing in professional, regulated mediation is justified by its substantial long-term benefits.