Mediation is likely to be used in many cases as an alternative method of settling disputes by mutual consent between the complainants and the public bodies
Mediation enriches the toolkit of the complaint investigators, and in many cases is likely to be used as an alternative method of dispute resolution between the complainants and the public bodies.
Our mediators, all qualified in the field, assist the parties in conducting negotiations with the aim of reaching understandings that will allow the disputes between them to be resolved by mutual consent. The use of the proceeding enables the complaint to be investigated in a manner that is tailored to its particular circumstances, and assists in settling the disputes successfully and in finding a solution which will be acceptable to both parties.
The mediation is conducted after the parties to the dispute have given their consent. The mediation team, which is an impartial entity, strictly observes the confidentiality of the proceeding in order to allow honest and open discourse between the parties, the creation of a relaxed atmosphere and the building of trust between the mediator and the parties.
video: Mediation in the Office of the Ombudsman
The use of mediation will be considered, among other things, when there is a prolonged relationship between the complainants and the public bodies, when the complainants need to receive recognition of an emotional injury that they have incurred or when the complaint concerns several authorities or public bodies and the complainants feel that they have "fallen through the cracks".
The complaints handled by the Office of the Ombudsman through mediation over the years have dealt, among other things, with employment relationships, the removal of hazards and nuisances, and complaints about the conduct of public servants.
As a rule, the mediation sessions are held at the offices of the Ombudsman all over the country. Online mediations are held in appropriate cases.
