From asiancorrespondent.com

The way societies deal with acts of crime, civil matters and corporate and commercial business transactions is undergoing considerable change. Legal systems and processes that have traditionally taken place inside the courtroom are moving outside, toward what some term ‘non-adversarial justice’ including mediation, alternative dispute resolution and restorative justice.

In a recent move by Australia’s Federal Government to foster what the Hon Nicola Roxon MP, Australia’s Attorney-General, describes as a “meaningful dispute resolution culture” there has been an allocation of $1.3 billion in legal assistance geared towards alternative dispute resolution practices. In addition to funding changes, legislation has been introduced so that in certain federal matters people are encouraged to seek resolution prior to going to court.  According to the Attorney-General “it promotes a change from the adversarial culture of dispute management, and requires lawyers to give clients information about alternatives to litigation.” This reflects a considerable change in Australia’s legal landscape.

Internationally, Australia’s recent dispute resolution agreement with Abu Dhabi continues to strengthen Australia’s reputation as a dispute resolution front runner...

Read more [HERE].