Barbados made an important step last week to make justice more accessible to its citizens with the introduction of community mediation.
Admittedly, the move did not grab headlines, but it is no less significant given its potential to change how we settle common, day-to-day disputes.
The service, which is being offered under the Canadian-funded Improve Access to Justice in the Caribbean (IMPACT Justice), began on August 4.
The mediation sessions are being held at the Speightstown Resource Centre Church in Speightstown and Calvary Moravian in Roebuck Street.
Community mediation really involves bringing ordinary citizens together with the help of a trained mediator to settle conflict between the disputing parties.
That could mean anything from quarrels between family members, neighbours and friends to conflict between landlords and tenants, land disputes and disagreements over hire purchase agreements and the like.
Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Youth and Sports Yolande Howard told the launch that there has been a noticeable increase in tension in communities in recent times.
Howard said: “One of the things that comes out when engaging the young people is the number of cases of poor self-esteem, poor self-confidence, the conflicts and tensions which exists both within homes and within their environments within their communities and other communities.”
“We are seeing more tensions than we would have been seeing before and it is not just the level of tension but the kinds of tensions we are seeing, to the point now where when we plan programmes we have to be very careful if we are planning in community ‘A’ we have to be conscious of the tension that community have with ‘B’.”
Deputy Commissioner of Police Erwin Boyce confirmed Howard’s view and went further to highlight concerns about the high number of domestic disputes.
According to Boyce, domestic disputes account for the majority of the more than 50,000 annual calls to the Royal Barbados Police Force.
He said: The time has come for a more efficient way to handle those complaints. That is why we are working to partner with this project without hesitation.”
The officials are hoping that community mediation will resolve disputes before they escalate, maintain harmony, reduce crime and divert cases from our already over-burdened court system.
Disputes can be settled outside courtrooms if there is a willingness among the parties to try alternative means.
Nor are lawsuits always the most efficient way to find a solution to conflicts that erupt between families, neighbours, customers or business associates.
We acknowledge that in Barbados, litigation has been the method used to resolve disputes but it has also led to other challenges. We know well of the huge pile-up of cases before courts that has only further overburdened the system, resulting in long delays.
Since litigation takes time, disputes often take a heavy toll on the parties involved and not just in terms of legal costs.
Therefore, community mediation, which is really an alternative dispute resolution mechanism, will not only benefit citizens but the judicial system.
For this to work, there must be a careful, transparent selection of mediators. They must be citizens in good standing, fair and unbiased, who are focused on identifying and resolving the underlying causes of a conflict as well as the symptoms to effect lasting solutions.
Proper training is, therefore, crucial to ensure that there is no abuse of power.
Hardly can we dispute the obvious benefits of community mediation. The authorities have only started the ball rolling.
Members of the public who stand to benefit most cannot buy into an initiative no matter how beneficial it may be if they know little about it.
Clearly, there is a need for a public education campaign to build awareness and buy in.
Barbados is moving in the right direction. Programmes like community mediation that engages ordinary citizens foster less conflict, less crime, and better communities.
