CBA National ADR Section
July 2002
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Table of contents

Message from the Chair - By S. Noel Rea, Q.C.
I wish to take the opportunity of the publication of Possibilities in electronic form, to provide members of the ADR Section with a brief report on the activities of the Section to this point of the 2001/2002 year.
Article in French

Message from the Editor - By Howie Clavier
Since the events of September 11, 2001, and more recently the unsettling situation in the Middle East, the notions of peace, justice, cultural diversity and conflict resolution have become topics of conversation throughout society. Although negotiations have occurred on various fronts, many are asking: what can be done to curb the escalation of indifference, intolerance, hatred and violence which seems to be increasingly commonplace, both at home and abroad.
Article in French

Use of ADR Processes by the Law Society of Alberta - By Nicky Brink
The Law Society of Alberta has started to use alternative dispute resolution (ADR) strategies in the conduct of its day-to-day business, just as the legal profession has begun to do in day-to-day practice.
Article in French

Prepare! Prepare! Prepare! The Preliminary Conference - By Deborah Lynn Zutter
The preliminary conference is a meeting between the mediator and the disputants held prior to the joint mediation meeting. It is known by other names: pre-mediation conference; orientation meeting; preliminary meeting; intake meeting; pre-mediation session; and pre-mediation conference.
Article in French

Settlement conference: Quest for alternative justice
On September 10, 2001, the Québec Superior Court announced in a press release that it was taking new steps to involve itself in alternative dispute resolution. To this end, the Court has implemented a "settlement conference" process: a meeting of the parties involved in a civil, commercial or family dispute, chaired by a judge, where opposite viewpoints are expressed and discussed to better assess the case and explore the possibility of a non judicial solution, with all the human and economic benefits such a solution entails.
Article in French

A new service for clients, a new culture for lawyers - by Louise Vadnais
The Superior Court started providing a new service at the opening of the courts in 2001: the "settlement conference" as governed by Chapter XII of the Rules of Practice in civil matters of the Québec Superior Court (articles 70 to 78), in force since August, 2001. The settlement conference is chaired by a Superior Court judge (article 72) and is in keeping with alternative dispute resolution methods. Its purpose is to assist the parties in settling their case out of court (article 70).
Article in French

Annual Conference - London - August 10-14, 2002
The National Alternative Dispute Resolution Law Section will be holding a business meeting on Monday, August 12 at 12:00 (noon), at the Hilton London in London, Ont. All members welcome.
Article in French