Ronald Mason, attorney-at-law and mediation manager of the Dispute Resolution Foundation, addresses the audience at the Kiwanis Club of Downtown Kingston's weekly luncheon at the Jamaica Pegasus Hotel, New Kingston, yesterday. - RICARDO MAKYN/STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER
RONALD MASON, an attorney-at-law with the Dispute Resolution Foundation (DRF), said the organisation's mediation department had had a remarkable impact since it was implemented by the Government in 2003.
In fact, he is encouraging Jamaicans to utilise the mediation process rather than go through lengthy and costly court battles.
"Remember, the Dispute Resolution Foundation is here to serve the country; we don't serve any particular interest," Mr. Mason told the Kiwanis Club of Downtown Kingston's luncheon at the Jamaica Pegasus Hotel, yesterday.
"The Chief Justice has approved a roster of 32 mediators, about 60 per cent of whom are lawyers," he added. "They're competent and they're capable of handling any type of case ... be it land, corporate or construction."
The mediation arm of the DRF was established through the Civil Procedures Rule in January 2003 and after a slow start, Mr. Mason said his office had won the confidence of the public. In its first six months, he reported that there were only 15 referrals, but in 2004 mediators presided over 221 cases.
According to Mr. Mason, 70 per cent of these cases had been settled. "This shows an acceptance of the process and a recognition of the value of mediation," he said.
MORE JAMAICANS AWARE
Mr. Mason, who has practised mediation for over 10 years in Atlanta, Georgia, believes mediation has not only helped reduce the backlog of cases in local courts but the cost of conflict in the workplace. More significantly, he said it had made more Jamaicans aware of the DRF which was launched here in the early 1990s.
Despite its low profile, the DRF has presided over conflicts in crime-torn communities such as Trench Town, Kingston, and Flankers, St. James. One year after the establishment of its mediation department, the DRF hosted the Caribbean Conference on Dispute Resolution at the Jamaica Conference Centre, downtown Kingston.
