Online Mediation: a Game Changer or Much Ado About Nothing?
Summary: 1. Introduction – 2. Defining Online Mediation. – 3. Technologies Used in Online Mediation. – 4. Areas of Application. – 5. Known Benefits. – 6. (Un)obvious Drawbacks. – 7. Solutions and Potential for Improvement. – 8. Concluding Remarks.
Abstract
AJEE Collection of Articles on Mediation
This paper focuses on the phenomenon of Online Mediation, which is gaining in popularity in recent years. Being part of the Online Dispute Resolution family, this particular method is the one applied most often. The very idea of disputes being heard and resolved in the global network seems exciting and quite appealing to some, while for others it presents a source of major concern. New technologies influence the ways parties and the neutral interact, share ideas and reach a settlement. Moreover, they have a clear impact on how people evaluate the other party, their mediator and the whole procedure they are involved into. This makes trust a significant issue for online mediation, one that is not so easy to establish while relying on the old techniques. Another important thing is the absence of positive regulation for the sector. In spite of recent instruments adopted by the EU, online mediation is still a field largely unknown to lawyers, consumers, business players and national regulators.
This paper focuses on the phenomenon of Online Mediation, which is gaining in popularity in recent years. Being part of the Online Dispute Resolution family, this particular method is the one applied most often. The very idea of disputes being heard and resolved in the global network seems exciting and quite appealing to some, while for others it presents a source of major concern. New technologies influence the ways parties and the neutral interact, share ideas and reach a settlement. Moreover, they have a clear impact on how people evaluate the other party, their mediator and the whole procedure they are involved into. This makes trust a significant issue for online mediation, one that is not so easy to establish while relying on the old techniques. Another important thing is the absence of positive regulation for the sector. In spite of recent instruments adopted by the EU, online mediation is still a field largely unknown to lawyers, consumers, business players and national regulators.
The present article aims at clarifying the notion of ‘online mediation’ (which, surprisingly, has not been properly done yet), showing some of the most obvious benefits and drawbacks of this dispute resolution method (a deeper, more profound look on them will only be possible over time, when online mediation proves itself in practice and more statistical data are available) and providing valuable remarks on the solutions for the problems determined.
About Authors
Victor Terekhov, PhD in Law, lecturer of European Civil Procedure and European Private Law, Vilnius University (Vilnius, Lithuania)
References
- O Turel, Y Yuan, J Rose, ‘Antecedents of Attitude towards Online Mediation’ (2007) 16(6) Group Decision & Negotiation 539.
- P Astromskis, ‘Ateities teisės tyrimų modelis’ (2018) 1(17) Teisės apžvalga 74.
- M Corrales, M Fenwick, N Forgó, Disruptive Technologies Shaping the Law of the Future in: New Technology, Big Data and the Law (Springer 2017) 2.
- R O’Shields, ‘Smart Contracts: Legal Agreements for the Blockchain’ (2017) 21 North Carolina Banking Institute 179.
- J Hörnle, Cross-border Internet Dispute Resolution (Cambridge University Press 2009) 87.
- P Cortés, ‘Can I Afford Not To Mediate? Mandatory Online Mediation for European Consumers: Legal Constraints and Policy Issues’ (2008) 35 Rutgers Computer and Technology Law Journal 1.
- T Schultz, G Kaufmann-Kohler et al, Online Dispute Resolution: The State of the Art and the Issues (University of Geneva 2001) 24.
- Directive 2008/52/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council of 21 May 2008 on certain aspects of mediation in civil and commercial matters (EU Mediation Directive), OJ L 136, 24.05.2008, 3-8.
- Mediation in EU Member States information page – <https://e-justice.europa.eu/content_mediation_in_member_states-64-be-en.do?member=1> accessed 15 August 2019.
- E M Lombardi, ‘Is Online Mediation the Way to Fit the Forum to the Fuss?’ (2012) 19(4) Maastricht Journal of European and Comparative Law 526.
- N Kaminskienė, ‘Privaloma mediacija: galimybės ir iššūkiai’ (2013) 20(2) Jurisprudencija 687-8.
- A V Feoktistov, ‘Mediation as a Means of Conflict Regulation’ (“Mediatsiia kak sposob uregulirovaniia konfliktov’) (2014) 27 Concept 1.
- J C Betancourt, E Zlatanska, ‘Online Dispute Resolution (ODR): What Is It, and Is It the Way Forward?’ (2013) 79 Arbitration 256.
- K Mania, ‘Online Dispute Resolution: The Future of Justice’ (2015) 1 International Comparative Jurisprudence 78.
- L Zissis, ‘Disputes in the Digital Era: The Evolution of Dispute Resolution and the Model ODR System. (Université de Toulouse 2015) 153.
- G Ross, ‘ODR's Role in In-Person Mediation and Other 'Must Know' Takeaways About ODR’ <https://www.mediate.com/articles/RossG2.cfm> accessed 10 August 2019.
- E Katsh, J Rifkin, Online Dispute Resolution: Resolving Conflicts in Cyberspace (Jossey-Bass, 2001) 9.
- A M Braeutigam, ‘Fusses that Fit Online: Online Mediation in Non-Commercial Contexts’ (2006) 5(2) Appalachian Journal of Law 285.
- A Ramasastry, ‘Government-to-Citizen Online Dispute Resolution: A Preliminary Inquiry’ (2004) 79 Washington Law Review 160.
- H Pakaslanti, ‘The Costs of Resolving Conflicts Online’ (2017) < https://helda.helsinki.fi/bitstream/handle/10138/191368/the%20Costs%20of%20Resolving%20Conflicts%20Online.pdf?sequence=2&isAllowed=y> accessed 29 July 2019.
- G Kaufmann-Kohler, ‘Online Dispute Resolution and Its Significance for International Commercial Arbitration’ (2005) Commerce and Dispute Resolution 454.
- Black’s Law Dictionary (9th edition), ed. B A Garner (West 2009) 248.
- F S Rossi, A Holtzworth‐Munroe, ‘Shuttle and Online Mediation: A Review of Available Research and Implications for Separating Couples Reporting Intimate Partner Violence or Abuse’ (2017) 55(3) Family Court Review 395.
- J van der Henrik, D Dimov, ‘Towards Crowdsourced Online Dispute Resolution’ (2011) Law Across Nations: Governance, Policy & Statutes 244-257.
- D Lavi, ‘Till Death Do Us Part?!: Online Mediation as an Answer to Divorce Cases Involving Violence’ (2015) 16(2) North Carolina Journal of Law and Technology 300.
- J Melamed, ‘Mediating on the Internet: Today and Tomorrow’ <https://www.mediate.com/articles/Melamed5.cfm> accessed 20 July 2019.
- F S Rossi, A Holtzworth‐Munroe (n 34) 439.
- R Regazzoni, ‘RisolviOnline: Online Mediation from a Very Practical Point of View’ <http://ceur-ws.org/Vol-430/Paper5.pdf> accessed 10 July 2019.
- P Noriega, C López, ‘Towards a Platform for Online Mediation’ (2009) CEUR Workshop Proceedings 482.
- A S Shetty, R R Pathrabe et al, Legal Issues in eCommerce < https://www.academia.edu/8148042/Legal_Issues_in_E-Commerce> accessed 12 August 2019.
- B de Vries, ‘Book Review: Online Dispute Resolution: Challenges for Contemporary Justice’ (2006) 15 Information & Communication Technology Law 121.
- D Sauliūnas, ‘Alternatyvūs ginčų sprendimo būdai internetu (online ADR)’ (2003) 41(33) Jurisprudencija 40.
- Y Zhao, ‘Rethinking the Limitations of Online Mediation’ (2018) 11 American Journal of Mediation 164.
- B L Beal, ‘Online Mediation: Has Its Time Come?’(2000) 15(3) Ohio State Journal on Dispute Resolution 735.
- E Katsh, C Rule, ‘What We Know and Need to Know About Online Dispute Resolution’ < https://www.americanbar.org/content/dam/aba/images/office_president/katsh_rule_whitepaper.pdf> accessed 3 July 2019.
- Online Mediation – MediasiMediasi <https://mediasi.nl/en/mediation/online-mediation> accessed 12 July 2019.
- N Ebner, ‘E-Mediation’ in M S Abdel Wahab, E Katsh & D Rainey (eds) Online Dispute Resolution: Theory and Practice (Eleven International Publishing 2012) 362.
- C Rule, ‘Designing a Global Online Dispute Resolution System: Lessons Learnt from eBay’ (2017) 13 University of St. Thomas Law Journal 356.
- Directive 2013/11/EU of the European Parliament and of the Council of 21 May 2013 on alternative disputes and amending Regulation (EC) No 2006/2004 and Directive 2009/22/EC (Directive on consumer ADR), OJ L 165, 18.06.2013
- Regulation (EU) 524/2013 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 21 May 2013 on online dispute resolution for consumer disputes and amending Regulation (EC) No 2006/2004 and Directive 2009/22/EC (Regulation on consumer ODR), OJ L 165/1, 18.06.2013
- A Kuhl, ‘Family Law Online: The Impact of the Internet’ (2008) 21(1) Journal of the American Academy of Matrimonial Lawyers 239-42.
- F Petrauskas, E Kybartienė, ‘Online Dispute Resolution in Consumer Disputes’ (2011) 18(3) Jurisprudence 924.
- S S Raines, ‘Can Online Mediation Be Transformative? Tales from the Front’ (2005) 22(4) Conflict Resolution Quarterly 449.
- S N Exon, ‘The Next Generation of Online Dispute Resolution: the Significance of Holography to Enhance and Transform Dispute Resolution’ (2010) 12 Cardozo Journal of Conflict Resolution 24-6.
- K Taylor, Technological Advancements Help Resolve Disputes <https://www.mediate.com/articles/TaylorKbl20151218.cfm> accessed 5 August 2019.
- G Ross, ODR's Role in In-Person Mediation and Other 'Must Know' Takeaways About ODR <https://www.mediate.com/articles/RossG2.cfm> accessed 2 July 2019.
- P Young, Online Mediation: Its Uses And Limitations <https://www.mediate.com/articles/young4.cfm> accessed 22 July 2019.
- M Albornoz, N González, ‘Feasibility Analysis of Online Dispute Resolution in developing Countries’ (2012) 44 University of Miami Inter-American Law Review 39.
- A Schmitz, ‘There’s An “App” for That: Developing Online Dispute Resolution to Empower Economic Development’ (2018) 32 Notre Dame Journal of Law Ethics & Public Policy 2.
- N Kravec, ‘Dogmas of Online Dispute Resolution’ (2006) 38 University of Toledo Law Research 130.
- B L Mann, ‘Smoothing Some Wrinkles in Online Dispute Resolution’ (2009) 17 International Journal of Law and Information Technology 110.
- Lietuvos Respublikos mediacijos įstatymas, Valstybės žinios, 2008-07-31, Nr. 87-3462, Art. 17.
- P Cortés, Online Dispute Resolution for Consumers in the European Union (Routledge 2010) 58.
- J F Goodman, The Pros and Cons of Online Dispute Resolution: An Assessment of Cyber-Mediation Websites < https://scholarship.law.duke.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1073&context=dltr> accessed 2 July 2019.
- A Kuhl, ‘Family Law Online: The Impact of the Internet’ (2008) 21(1) Journal of the American Academy of Matrimonial Lawyers 226.
- M Hughes, Study Shows We’re Spending an Insane Amount of Time Online < https://thenextweb.com/tech/2019/01/31/study-shows-were-spending-an-insane-amount-of-time-online> accessed 12 July 2019.
Reviews for article
Add a Review
How to cite it?
-
V Terekhov, 'Online Mediation: a Game Changer or Much Ado About Nothing?' (2019) No 3 (2) Access to Justice in Eastern Europe 33-50.
