- Community Mediation Centre (Singapore)
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The Community Mediation Centres (CMCs) in Singapore come under the purview of the Ministry of Law. The work of the CMCs is overseen by the Community Mediation Unit (CMU), a department set up within the Ministry of Law to run CMCs’ day to day operations as well as promote the use of mediation in Singapore.[1]
Contents
Overview
Set up with a view to providing Singaporeans with an accessible platform to resolve community and social disputes in an amicable manner, Singapore’s first CMC was established in 1998, following recommendations in 1997 by an inter-agency Committee on Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR). The CMCs Act became law in 1998, providing for the establishment of the CMCs.
The CMU’s mission is to provide mediation services for social, community or family disputes that do not involve an arrestable offence under any written law.
There are currently three CMCs at accessible locations in Singapore: CMC (Central), located at The URA Centre East Wing, CMC (Regional North), located at Woodlands Civic Centre, and CMC (Subordinate Courts), located within the Subordinate Courts’ premises.
History
In March 1996, Professor S Jayakumar, then Minister for Law, tasked an inter-agency Committee to explore how Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR) processes, in particular, mediation, could be further promoted in Singapore. This led to the formation of a Committee on ADR in May 1996, chaired by then Senior Parliamentary Secretary, Associate Professor Ho Peng Kee, and comprising representatives from the Ministry of Law, Ministry of Community Development, Ministry of Home Affairs, the Courts, Attorney General's Chambers, the Singapore Academy of Law, the National University of Singapore, the Singapore International Arbitration Centre, the Law Society of Singapore and Members of Parliament.
In July 1997, the Committee on ADR submitted a report to the Government, recommending that less expensive and non-adversarial methods of dispute resolution should be introduced in order to prevent Singaporean society from becoming too litigious. These should cater to a wide range of social and community conflicts. Noting that mediation reflects important aspects of traditions and cultures that are worthy of preservation, the Committee on ADR recommended that mediation, in particular, should be promoted to resolve social and community disputes. Pursuant to the recommendations of the Committee, the Ministry of Law set up the CMCs to help promote a more harmonious, civil and gracious society, where social conflicts are resolved amicably without resort to litigation in the Courts.[2]
About Community Mediation in Singapore
Mediation sessions at the CMCs are facilitated by a panel of trained volunteer mediators, who guide parties through discussion of the issues and assist them in reaching a mutually acceptable solution. The CMCs’ volunteer mediators come from a wide range of backgrounds, many of whom also actively serve as grassroots and community leaders. [3]
Types of Disputes CMC handles
The CMCs cater to community disputes, as opposed to commercial, legal or contractual disputes. The types of disputes handled by the CMCs include relational disputes, such as quarrels between neighbours (e.g. noise, laundry dripping, corridor obstruction disputes), family conflicts (e.g. maintenance of elderly or disabled family members), disagreements between friends, hawker or shop-owner squabbles (e.g. placement of products) and arguments between strangers (e.g. verbal abuse or insulting gestures).[4]
Parties can voluntarily approach the CMCs directly for assistance by visiting a CMC, calling their hotline at (65) 6325 1600 or enquiry/registration through their website at www.minlaw.gov.sg/cmc.
Under the CMCs Act, where deemed appropriate, Magistrates also have the power to refer Magistrate Complaints to the CMCs for mandatory mediation. A CMC is co-located within the Subordinate Courts’ premises for that purpose.
Partnerships
The CMCs collaborate with many partner agencies to encourage the awareness and use of community mediation in Singapore. It has referral arrangements with frontline public and community agencies, such as the Housing and Development Board (HDB), Singapore Police Force (SPF) and the People’s Association (PA). Through collaboration with its partners, the CMC aims to channel appropriate social and community disputes to CMC, as well as to increase awareness and use of community mediation.[1]
Youth Outreach
As part of the CMCs’ efforts to build a mediation culture in Singapore, it organises a variety of youth-oriented outreach programmes to generate awareness and understanding of mediation among youth. Currently, there are three main youth programmes organised by the CMC: the Peer Mediation Assembly programme, Youth Mediation Forum and Peer Mediation Training Workshops.
The Peer Mediation Assembly Programme consists of an interactive performance with themes related to conflict resolution and mediation; and introduces the mediation process.
The annual Youth Mediation Forum is a platform for student leaders to share their thoughts about how conflicts amongst youths should be resolved and learn more about mediation.
The Peer Mediation Training Workshop uses a variety of methods to equip student leaders with peer mediation skills. Through videos, lectures and role-play scenarios, students experience the mediation process first-hand to facilitate application in their daily lives.[1]
See also
References
- ^ a b c Community Mediation in Singapore, 10th Anniversary Community Mediation Centre Commemorative Book: Who are we? ISBN: 978-981-08-1142-6. Retrieved from http://app2.mlaw.gov.sg/Publications/AnnualReport/tabid/310/Default.aspx
- ^ Community Mediation Centre official website, Our History: http://app2.mlaw.gov.sg/AboutCMC/OurHistory/tabid/300/Default.aspx
- ^ Community Mediation in Singapore, 10th Anniversary Community Mediation Centre Commemorative Book: Our volunteer mediators. ISBN: 978-981-08-1142-6
- ^ Community Mediation Centre official website, Types of Disputes CMC handles: http://app2.mlaw.gov.sg/cmc/MediationServices/TypesofDisputesCMChandles/tabid/303/Default.aspx
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