People need a range of ways in which to resolve their disputes, Baroness Ashton said this week at the launch of 'mediation week', a government-sponsored drive to encourage people to settle disputes before they reach the courtroom.

The initiative involved 100 events at courts all over the country, including helpdesks manned by qualified mediators to offer information to court users and the public.


Mediation open days were held throughout the UK as part of the event, while mediators organised meetings with local judges and court staff to discuss its benefits. A half-day conference was also held in London to highlight the use of mediation for business, consumers and the community.


Baroness Ashton, a minister in the Department for Constitutional Affairs, said: 'By 2009, we want people with disputes to feel able to resolve them by using a range of options available to them. That means we all have to change what we do. I am not suggesting that mediation will always be the answer, but it is by making sure that people can get help in a way that suits them that we will make this really work.'


She added: 'A number of judges are concerned about the number of contact orders being made [in family cases]. Many of these cases do not result in lasting solutions. It is much better to find an agreement between parents - then there is more chance that the solution will last.


'This is a critically important... part of what the department does. Too often, taking cases through court can be a disruptive, time-consuming and stressful process. Alternative means of resolving disputes can achieve better results in a more constructive and informal way.'