Last week's Centre for Effective Dispute Resolution (CEDR) awards saw the Department for Constitutional Affairs (DCA) win in the innovation category.


The awards were ahead of the launch of National Mediation Week, which runs from 9-13 October.



The judges handed the DCA the award for innovation for showing 'real inspiration in creating the mediation helpline... which has achieved an 85% settlement success rate'.



The runner-up place was for the Courts Service's Manchester free in-court mediation scheme, which lost out to the Patent Office.



Phillip Howell-Richardson, consultant at SJ Berwin, which won the professions category, said of the Manchester pilot: 'There can be no doubt mediation in small claims is a significant area, and the different ways it can be done should be looked at so that any method is thoroughly tested.'



Rupert White