Mediation Training Course Underway

A Weeklong course on Mediation training began on Monday with an opening ceremony at the ICT Centre.

The sessions are organized by the Eastern Caribbean Supreme Court with the assistance of the University of the West Indies and the government of St. Kitts and Nevis.

The ceremony was made up of in-house and virtual presentations from various legal officials. Registrar of the High Court Janine Harris-Lake pointed out the importance of mediation as it offers an alternative to going to
court when it comes to settling disputes.

“Mediation is a very important part of our judicial system and most would be aware that mediation provides litigants with a wider range of solutions than those that are available in litigation,” she said. “Albert Einstein said
‘In the middle of difficulties, lie opportunities. The goal of resolving conflict is not victory or defeat. It is reaching understanding and letting go of your need to be right.”

Attorney General, Hon. Vincent Byron pointed out that the process of mediation allows the parties involved to come to a resolution in a  relaxed, informal setting which has numerous benefits.

“It is seen as, and should be, quicker, timely, and also saves litigants costs but I think Madame Justice Appeal Gertel Thom made a very important aspect of the whole mediation process. Because what it does is it helps to maintain relationships in our communities,” he said.

This is the second mediation training course that has been offered in recent years. The last one was in 2019. The frequency of these training sessions has been described as a signal of how the Eastern Caribbean Supreme Court
values mediation.