Debated in Parliament on 3 Feb 2020.
Mr Sitoh Yih Pin asked the Minister for Law (a) what is the annual number of mediations conducted under the auspices of the Singapore Mediation Centre from 2017 to 2019; (b) of these, what is the recorded rate of successful settlements; and (c) whether the Ministry has plans to encourage more commercial legal disputes to be resolved through mediation.
465, 466 and 490 mediations were conducted under the aupices of the Singapore Mediation Centre (SMC) in 2017, 2018, and 2019, with a recorded settlement rate of 65%, 69% and 66% respectively.
The Ministry has over the years strengthened the framework for commercial mediation. In 2014, we established (i) the Singapore International Mediation Centre as the flagship organisation to provide international commercial mediation services; and (ii) the Singapore International Mediation Institute to establish accreditation schemes and raise professional standards for mediation. In 2017, we introduced the Mediation Act to strengthen the framework for enforcement of mediated settlement agreements.
In August 2019, Singapore was among the first to sign the Singapore Convention on Mediation. We plan to be among the first countries to ratify the convention. To this end, the Ministry of Law has introduced the Singapore Convention on Mediation Bill in January, and the second reading of the Bill will take place at this sitting of Parliament. When the convention comes into force, it will provide for the cross-border enforcement of mediated settlement agreements, give businesses greater certainty and assurance, and encourage the greater use of mediation to resolve international commercial disputes.
The Ministry of Law will continue to work with countries, businesses and practitioners to promote the benefits of mediation and the convention. We will provide technical assistance where needed to assist countries to work towards signing and ratifying the Convention. We will also continue to work with mediation institutions to strengthen the quality of our mediation services and build a strong pool of qualified mediators and practitioners.
PAPERCUTS