Legal review of the mandatory mediation process in South Africa

Authors

  • Alan John Rycroft University of Cape Town

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.1558/mtp.v1i1.27960

Keywords:

mediation, confidentiality, court review, settlement agreements

Abstract

Judicial understandings of mediation in the context of South Africa’s Commission for Conciliation Mediation and Arbitration are evaluated from reported decisions where a party sought to set aside a settlement agreement. What is apparent is that courts generally understand that the process of mandatory mediation can be robust and evaluative. The acceptable borderline for advice-giving, scenario-setting, pressure to settle and monitoring the settlement agreement is fact-specific. There is sufficient discrepancy between the cases to show that judicial assessment varies. Generally the courts seem to have no great concern over the breach of mediator confidentiality required in judicial review and none of the commissioners refused to cooperate in the review process.

Author Biography

  • Alan John Rycroft, University of Cape Town

    Alan John Rycroft is deputy dean and professor of commercial law in the Faculty of Law at the University of Cape Town. He is also an accredited mediator (CEDR). He is the author of several labour law textbooks, and co-authored Mediation: Principles, Process and Practice with Laurence Boulle in 1997. He teaches LLM courses in negotiation, mediation and arbitration at UCT.

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Published

2016-06-04

Issue

Section

Policy Articles

How to Cite

Rycroft, A. J. (2016). Legal review of the mandatory mediation process in South Africa. Mediation Theory and Practice, 1(1), 79-94. https://doi.org/10.1558/mtp.v1i1.27960