Disputes between neighbours and friends could soon be resolved with the help of a new Community Mediation Service.

A six-month trial service is being launched on 1 April 2009 by the Jersey Legal Information Board with administrative support from the Citizens Advice Bureau. 

Each party will pay just £20 for a confidential session of up to two hours in which a trained mediator will help people involved in small scale disputes – who agree to enter mediation – to discuss their problems and reach an agreement of their own making.

“Being locked into a dispute that you want to end, but can’t, can affect people’s lives and happiness,” said Advocate David Cadin.  “Private mediation gives people the option to resolve a dispute without a court process or having to pay a lawyer.  Mediators don’t decide the outcome of the mediation;  their role is to help the parties reach their own agreement.”

Neighbours who disagree over boundaries, parking spots or overhanging trees could all be helped by this service, which potentially offers a cheaper, quicker and more mutually satisfactory outcome to their dispute than many alternatives.

Disputes between landlords and tenants, for example over tenancy agreements and deposits, could also be resolved using the Community Mediation Service, although some disputes might be referred elsewhere, for example, to the Jersey Advisory and Conciliation Service or the Jersey Family Mediation Service.

The service will also be open to people who do business together, but if the dispute involves a sum of money it must be less than £10,000.

If an agreement is reached, the mediator writes a legally binding agreement for both parties to sign.  If the dispute cannot be resolved, then participants can use the court process to settle their dispute if they wish.

Community Mediation will take place on Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays between 3.30pm – 5.30pm at CAB in St Paul’s Community Centre, St Helier.

More information is available from the Jersey Legal Information Board website  www.jerseylaw.je/Mediation/Community/, and from the Citizens Advice Bureau, tel: 01534 724942 and email:   This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it .