The draft bill on judicial mediators, accredited mediation centres and the National Mediator Register, which was made available by the Ministry of Justice (MS) for public consultation, became the subject of a debate, which was besides attended by the SME Ombudsman Agnieszka Majewska.
As he wrote in his speech to the Secretary of State in MS, in view of the uncertainty associated with the frequently long-term anticipation that the court will settle the case, “mediation can be an instrument that gives a chance for a smooth and effective resolution of the dispute, so efforts to improve the functioning of the mediation strategy are desirable from the position of the business community.”
The name of the entity may be misleading
At the same time, Minister Majewska presents her comments to improve the project. This includes, in particular, the introduction of the concept of an ‘accredited mediation centre’ as an entity providing training for candidates to conduct mediation with the accreditation of the Ministry of Justice and entered in the National registry of Mediators. According to Agnieszka Majewska, the name of the entity may be misleading, as it does not take into account the fact that its activities are primarily aimed at training, not mediation itself. As a result, accredited mediator training centres and another "uncredited" and frequently conducted by entities with extended experience in mediation will operate side by side.
The SME spokesperson calls for the institution to be given an “accredited media centre”
This may give the incorrect impression that the second category of entities does not represent an adequate substantive level. The Ombudsman so calls for the institution to be given a "accredited mediation centre" of a different, more appropriate name.
