Singapore Mediation Centre (SMC) is a
not-for-profit organisation
A nonprofit organization (NPO) or non-profit organisation, also known as a non-business entity, not-for-profit organization, or nonprofit institution, is a legal entity organized and operated for a collective, public or social benefit, in co ...
structured as a company limited by the guarantee of the Singapore Academy of Law.
History
In 1996, a cross-profession committee on Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR) chaired by then Senior Parliamentary Secretary, Associate Professor
Ho Peng Kee
Ho Peng Kee ( zh, s=何炳基, p=Hé Bǐngjī; born 9 May 1954) is a Singaporean legal academic and former politician. A member of the governing People's Action Party (PAP), he was the Senior Minister of State in the Ministry of Law and the Minis ...
, was formed to study how mediation in Singapore could be promoted outside the courts. The Committee made two main recommendations. One of which was the creation of a commercial mediation centre under the Singapore Academy of Law. This centre, the Singapore Mediation Centre, was launched on 16 August 1997. SMC is limited by the guarantee of the
Singapore Academy of Law
The Singapore Academy of Law (SAL) is a statutory body in Singapore. SAL is a promotion and development agency for Singapore's legal industry. SAL also undertakes statutory functions such as stakeholding services and the appointment of Senior C ...
, a body presided by the
Chief Justice of Singapore
The chief justice of Singapore is the chief justice, presiding member of the Supreme Court of Singapore. It is the highest post in the judicial system of Singapore, appointed by the President of Singapore, president, chosen from the candidates rec ...
and governed by a Senate, most of whose members are also judges of the Supreme Court.
SMC is located within the Supreme Court's premises. Mediations at the SMC are usually held at the mediation chambers in the Supreme Court.
Mediation
Mediation is a structured, interactive process where an impartial third party neutral assists disputing parties in resolving conflict through the use of specialized communication and negotiation techniques. All participants in mediation are ...
provides strategic conflict management in which parties can resolve their own disputes, including commercial, contractual, or matrimonial disputes with the help of a neutral third party. The mediator acts only as a facilitator to guide and regulate the process. The outcome of the mediation is determined by the parties themselves. Mediation is an interest-based approach that is non-confrontational, and focuses on solving problems in regards to the parties' interest. Examples of mediation services are the Healthcare Mediation Scheme, which offers subsidised mediation services for disputes between patients and healthcare institutions, and mediation for disputes arising from the Personal Data Protection Act.
SMC is governed by a board of directors chaired by Justice
Belinda Ang
Belinda Ang Saw Ean (born 24 April 1954) is a Singaporean judge of the Court of Appeal. Ang received her Bachelor of Laws from the Aberystwyth University, University of Wales, Aberystwyth in 1976 and her Master of Laws (with distinction) fr ...
; and assisted by a board of advisors who provide strategic advice to enable SMC to achieve its mission.
SMC has 3 panels of mediators, classed as International, Principal and Associate Mediators.
There has been an increase in mediation matters handled by SMC in its over 20-year history. In 2016, it released a record of 499 matters handled in 2016, a 72% increase over 2015. It recorded an 8% increase in matters filed in 2017, and its highest annual quantum of total dispute sums administered in the Centre's history.
With the introduction of the Mediation Act in Singapore on 1 November 2017, the Ministry of Law designated SMC as one of the 4 designated mediation service providers in Singapore, along with the
Singapore International Mediation Centre
Singapore International Mediation Centre (SIMC) is an independent not-for-profit organisation in Singapore providing mediation services, through its panel of international mediators, to parties wishing to resolve their cross-border commercial disp ...
, Tripartite Alliance for Dispute Management and
World Intellectual Property Organisation Arbitration and Mediation Center.
References
{{Authority control
1997 establishments in Singapore
Legal organisations based in Singapore
Mediation