OUT of the 70 matters mediated at the Fiji Mediation Centre in 2017, 67.5 per cent were settled.
This was highlighted by centre chair Jenny Seeto at an awareness session in Nadi yesterday.
“Of the cases that were settled, more than 60 per cent were concluded within one working day,” she said.
Ms Seeto said cases were always consensual, meaning both parties had to agree to voluntarily attend mediation sessions.
If parties were hesitant or did not wish to attend, Ms Seeto said mediators would get involved and encourage parties to come forward.
She said they would also explain the process of mediation to the people involved, and no cost would be rendered to the parties at that stage.
The mediators would begin charging for their services once both parties agreed to try mediation.
Ms Seeto said for small case mediation up to $50,000, mediators charged $500 per party for a day.
“So, it’s still very cheap. With the old structure, if the case was for $20 million or $80m, the mediator was only paid $150 so the judiciary has devised this system which is fairer.”
