A round-up of other legal stories in brief...
Symposium on mediation in the workplace
President Mary McAleese will address a symposium on mediation tomorrow run by the Mediators' Institute of Ireland. As well as a general discussion on mediation, its uses and benefits, there will be practical information on how to enable mediation as an option in the workplace.
Keynote and panel speakers will include Lucy Fallon Byrne, David Begg, Turlough O'Sullivan, Mike McDonnell, Ken Murphy, and Turlough O'Donnell.
There will also be an opportunity to discuss the European Mediation Directive, adopted on April 23rd by the European Parliament. Member states have 36 months to transpose it into domestic law. The directive promotes the use of mediation in civil and commercial disputes and it will enable parties to directly enforce an agreement reached in mediation - as if it were a court order.
It does not relate to disputes where both parties are in the same country, but in transposing it the Government might adopt some of the provisions for Irish disputes, according to the Karen Erwin of the Mediators' Institute of Ireland.
Community mediation
As well as mediation in family and commercial disputes, community mediation is on the increase, according to David Hickey of Cork Community Mediation Service. This new initiative offers mediation around boundary disputes, damage to property, harassment, noise and other community disputes, and the service is free.
The methods used include facilitation, mediation and consensus building to resolve differences between individuals, groups and organisations, and it is offered to communities as an alternative to confrontation, litigation and violence. The service is confidential and impartial.
Each dispute resolution exercise involves a minimum of three sessions, one private meeting each of a mediator with each party and one joint meeting between the mediators and the parties.
The service's website is www.ccms.ie
New partners in AL Goodbody
AL Goodbody has announced the appointment of seven new partners. They are: Niamh Coyne and Cian McCourt in corporate; Maireadh Dale in banking; Ross Moore in project finance and energy; David Main in pensions; Paula Reid, head of the firm's knowledge department; and Carol Widger in investment funds.
AL Goodbody employs more than 600 people, with 70 partners and total legal staff in excess of 350, and has offices in Dublin, Belfast, London and the US.