Basseterre, St. Kitts, November 14, 2019 (SKNIS): Mediation is widely considered to be an effective tool to resolve conflicts between individuals or parties. Against this backdrop, the St. Kitts and Nevis Bar Association is enthusiastic about the promotion of mediation techniques in the Federation.
“I am very excited with the court’s initiative as it relates to mediation and my hope is that the wider use of mediation will result in a culture of conflict resolution in St. Kitts and Nevis, a preferable solution to settling disputes as they arise,” said Dahlia Joseph Rowe, President of the St. Kitts and Nevis Bar Association, on Tuesday, November 12, during the launch of the Eastern Caribbean Supreme Court’s (ECSC) Mediation Public Awareness Campaign.
Mrs. Joseph Rowe stated that “mediation increases the public’s confidence in the justice system by disposing of matters that ought not to go to trial and allowing the courts to deal with disputes that cannot be settled otherwise.”
“This lessens the burden on our court system so that litigants can get to trial more quickly. Having matters settled in mediation allows us [attorneys-at-law] to devote more time to other cases and use our legal expertise in other areas of the law which I dare say may be even more lucrative,” she added.
Mrs. Joseph Rowe used the occasion to encourage the general public to take advantage of the public education.
“Attend the events, discuss the issues raised on the radio talk shows, on social media, with your friends and family members. “Let us get the conversation going and the message out that mediation is an invaluable dispute resolution mechanism, and that we in St. Kitts and Nevis should take full advantage of the trained and highly-skilled mediators at our disposal to settle disputes,” she added.
She wished the court every success in the public awareness campaign and said that the St. Kitts and Nevis Bar Association “stands ready to assist in any way possible.”