This roundtable aims to reunite researchers, judges and policymakers in order to explore the current instruments judges have and use in encouraging settlements. For the purposes of this discussion, settlement is seen as broadly as possible:
dispute resolution between parties in civil cases, both in and out-of-court (but court-related) (e.g. court mediation schemes, early neutral evaluation, part 36 offers, costs sanctions);
agreements and negotiations in criminal cases (e.g. encouragement of plea bargaining, advance sentence indications, restorative justice);
technological innovations (e.g. online dispute resolution).
The roundtable was inspired by an international research project funded by the European Research Council, which currently takes place in England and Wales, Israel and Italy. The project aims to explore the different policies, instruments and practices judges can use in resolving and containing disputes, as well as in minimising court proceedings.
Diana Richards, IALS Associate Research Fellow, was the UK research lead in this project in 2015/2016. She will open the session with a short presentation of results of the preliminary mapping of settlement instruments currently found in England and Wales. They will serve as starting points for the roundtable.
Date: 22nd March 2017, 6.00-8.00pm
Location: Institute of Advanced Legal Studies, 17 Russell Square, London WC1B 5DR
Charge: Free, booking required
More information can be found here.
