Mr Justice Lightman thinks the Court of Appeal puts a barrier to mediation with its decision in Halsey v Milton Keynes NHS Trust (see [2007] Gazette, 19 July 1). I, for one, am grateful to the Court of Appeal and hope it will continue to protect us from the views expressed by the judge.


We have an absolute right to have a fair and proper trial of civil issues, and this is all set out in article 6 of the European Convention on Human Rights.



The almost-compulsory mediation in the Central London County Court is bad. Mediation is restricted to a three-hour slot and costs the parties a massive £600. There are no facilities to come back and continue, nor are there any facilities for the re-imbursement of the court fees paid if the case does not go to trial.



I am the last person to denigrate mediation, but it is treated as an absolute panacea by some members of the judiciary, perhaps because it is an excellent way of reducing the court lists. Restrict the flow of litigants by compelling them to pay extra and go through a mediation exercise that delays the trial date works wonders for the statistics, I am sure.



It seems to me that many members of the judiciary do not treat mediation with the respect that it deserves. It is not something to be forced on people. It is voluntary. That means it is for people who want it, ask for it and are genuinely prepared to make it work. It is not a hoop to go through as a condition of taking a case to court and for which a further charge is made.



Neil Spurrier, Gregory Rowcliffe Milners, London