Michael Bready appointed to Private Arbitration Court, Bold move to reshape how disputes are managed in Nigeria, Shipping giants to pay car buyers
Lisa Rodger
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THE HOT STORY
Michael Bready appointed to Private Arbitration Court
Irish Legal News News Letter
Belfast-based Michael Bready, a barrister with over 25 years of private practice legal experience, has been named as the only arbitrator from Northern Ireland on the new Private Arbitration Court. The new alternative dispute resolution (ADR) platform has been launched by The Barrister Group and Hunt ADR, an Essex-based provider of mediation and arbitrator services.?Bready is one of the first appointees to its panel of arbitrators.?Gregory Hunt, Chief Executive of Hunt ADR, said: “The Private Arbitration Court is a bold step forward . . . Our focus is on offering expert-driven, technology-enhanced arbitration services that deliver outcomes faster and more efficiently, with transparent and fixed fees to provide clients with cost certainty. This is about setting new standards of excellence for the industry, and we are proud to work alongside The Barrister Group to achieve this.”
ALTERNATIVE DISPUTE RESOLUTION
Bold move to reshape how disputes are managed in Nigeria
The newly-established Institute of Alternative Dispute Resolution Development and Conflict Management of Nigeria (i-ADRNigeria) has its sights set on reviving and integrating Africa’s traditional dispute resolution systems, The Sun reports. The institute aims to tackle a broad spectrum of disputes ranging from commercial and corporate conflicts to community-based issues.?Prof. Akin Ibidapo-Obe, the President and Chairman of the Council of i-ADRNigeria, said societies in Africa have a long history of relying on informal, community-based systems for resolving conflicts.?“These traditional institutions, which often include elders, chiefs, and community leaders, have proven effective over centuries and deserve a place in modern conflict management,” he explained.? “African societies invented informal dispute resolution through its in-built traditional institutions, these traditional methodologies need to be revisited and resuscitated to broaden the scope of Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR) today.”?
Philippines Justice Secretary wants ADR, not courts
Philippines Justice Secretary Jesus Crispin Remulla has said courts should be a last resort in resolving disputes and conflicts and alternative dispute resolution (ADR) mechanisms should instead be used. He made his remarks following the conclusion of the 2024 National Alternative Dispute Resolution Convention, hosted by the Department of Justice’s Office for Alternative Dispute Resolution (OADR), at the Manila Hotel. The event was attended by around 400 stakeholders from government agencies, non-governmental organisations, and private entities who were there to advance ADR-driven governance to enhance Filipinos’ access to justice.?
MEDIATION
Recent reforms are transforming dispute resolution
Writing for The Barrister Group blog, Tahir K. considers how the legal reforms of?October 2024 are transforming dispute resolution. He says the reforms mark a pivotal moment for mediation in the UK, embedding it as a central feature of Alternative Dispute Resolution Mechanisms (ADR). Codified in?Sections 5A to 5D of the Civil Justice Act 2024, the changes respond to decades of evolving case law, legislative pressure, and judicial advocacy for ADR. By mandating mediation in certain disputes and introducing stronger penalties for non-compliance, the reforms aim to address growing court backlogs while enhancing access to justice.
NEGOTIATION
UK's Starmer openly talks about negotiated settlement for Ukraine
In a foreign policy speech last week, UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer said the UK “must continue to back Ukraine and do what it takes to support their self-defence for as long as it takes.” Starmer said such a move would “put Ukraine in the strongest possible position for negotiations so they can secure a just and lasting peace on their terms that guarantees their security, independence — and right to choose their own future.”? A spokesperson for No. 10 Downing Street later said the PM was “making the point that all wars end in some form of negotiation, and we’ll make sure that we put Ukraine in the best possible position.”
DISPUTE RESOLUTION
Expertise is key when addressing net zero disputes
Writing for The Barrister Group blog,?Dr Georgina Tsagas relates how a panel at the Singapore Convention Week on Mediation 2024 heard key insights regarding the complexities of achieving net zero targets and discussed the legal mechanisms available to address disputes in this area.?The panel agreed that expertise is key, given the technical nature of issues like carbon credits and emissions measurement. Jointly, the Panel Members explored how arbitration, supported by expert knowledge, could be instrumental in resolving disputes, while mediation offers a platform for more collaborative problem-solving.?As companies worldwide strive to meet ambitious climate targets, the legal community’s role in facilitating and enforcing these goals remains crucial, the author concludes.
Shipping giants to pay car buyers
Mark McLaren, a former Which? executive, and Scott+Scott, a US-based dispute resolution law firm, are set to announce that two shipping companies,?WWL/EUKOR?and?K Line, have agreed to pay ￡38m to British motorists who were overcharged due to an alleged cartel. The settlements, which include ￡24.5m from WWL/EUKOR and ￡13.25m from K Line, are pending approval from the?Competition Appeal Tribunal. Belinda Hollway from Scott+Scott?said: "These in-principle settlements are a very positive development for class members." The?European Commission?previously fined these companies over ￡300m for colluding to fix shipping rates. If approved, this will leave ￡100m in claims against two other defendants,?MOL?and?NYK, with a trial scheduled for next month
Shell settles lawsuit against Greenpeace
Shell has settled?a lawsuit?it brought against Greenpeace after the environmental group's activists last year boarded an oil production vessel near the Canary Islands to protest against oil drilling, travelling on it as far as Norway. Greenpeace said it had agreed to pay ￡300,000 ($382,650) to the Royal National Lifeboat Institute (RNLI), a charity that runs a search and rescue service. The group also said it would stop protesting for a period at four Shell sites in the northern North Sea.?Greenpeace previously said Shell was seeking up to $2.1m.
FAMILY DISPUTES
WA’s impending intergenerational wealth transfer could be costly
The Sydney Morning Herald reports on fears that the looming intergenerational wealth transfer led by Baby Boomers could be costly in resources-rich Western Australia (WA). A new report from Perth-based law firm Solomon Hollett Lawyers found 60% of West Australians believed there would be a dispute over a family estate.?The?Inheritance State of Play in WA?report, which collected the survey responses of almost 1,000 people, concluded 60% of those polled were at a high risk of having poor to catastrophic inheritance outcomes.?“Estate disputes and litigation are growing, both in the number of cases and size of the prize,” observed Morgan Solomon Lawyers director Solomon Hollett.
WORKPLACE CONFLICTS
Union criticises council over fire-and-rehire 'threat'
The GMB trade union has criticised?Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole Council over what it describes as a "written threat" to the council's 5,000-strong workforce that the council could fire them all and then rehire them on new terms if it cannot reach agreement with the union over a new pay structure. GMB senior organiser Nick Day said it is "appalling that on the verge of Christmas a public sector employer has dropped this email into the inboxes of its hard-working staff, threatening them all with the sack." Council chief executive Graham Farrant said the council is "firmly committed to reaching a negotiated agreement," and had "no plans to serve notice to colleagues before Christmas and we are simply ensuring that we have the right processes in place should we need them as a last resort."
Teamsters give Amazon a deadline to agree to bargaining dates
The International Brotherhood of Teamsters has said it is giving?Amazon a deadline of December 15 to agree to bargaining dates to negotiate a union contract for its delivery drivers and warehouse workers. The Teamsters, one of America’s largest labour unions, has accused Amazon of breaking the law and said it must commit to come to the table and bargain a contract with its workers.?“Amazon has a legal obligation to recognise the Teamsters and to start negotiating,” said Teamsters General President Sean M. O’Brien.?“This is another attempt to push a false narrative about the independent small businesses who deliver on our behalf,” Amazon spokesperson Eileen Hards said.
Strikes called off after negotiations
Liverpool Echo
The National Education Union (NEU) has called off strikes following two weeks of action by Wirral Council employees, citing “positive and productive” negotiations. Staff in the council's special education needs and disabilities (SEND) services had been striking due to poor working conditions and high workloads. NEU regional officer Bora Oktas said: "As a gesture of goodwill . . . we will not issue any further action dates while more detailed negotiations are being held."?The union said calling off the strike was “a positive step forward” and a breakthrough, and remains hopeful the?dispute?will be resolved.
US port workers' contract talks stall as January deadline nears
Talks between the United States Maritime Alliance and the International Longshoremen's Association (ILA) have collapsed over automation at East Coast ports, including the Port of New York and New Jersey. A previous strike in October lasted 72 hours, affecting 36 ports and involving over 47,000 dock workers. ILA President Harold Daggett said: “Automation, whether full or semi, replaces jobs and erodes the historic work functions that the ILA fought hard to protect.” The shipping alliance, USMX, argues that modern technology is essential for improving port operations. A potential strike could disrupt the global supply chain, with significant economic impacts, including a loss of $250m to $300m daily for the surrounding counties during the October strike.
INTERNATIONAL DISPUTES
Mauritius asks for review of Chagos Islands deal with UK
BBC News The Independent UK
The new prime minister of Mauritius said he has asked for an independent review of a deal with the United Kingdom over the future of the Chagos Islands. Under the agreement, which has still to be signed, the UK would relinquish sovereignty over the archipelago but maintain a 99-year lease over Diego Garcia, home to a major UK-US military airbase. A spokesperson for UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer said that Navin Ramgoolam had "indicated he was open" to the historic deal. Ramgoolam, who was elected prime minister of Mauritius last month, told the Mauritian parliament he had asked for a review and that the findings will be considered by the cabinet.
Elgin Marbles return deal 'still some distance' away
A deal to return the Elgin Marbles to Greece is "still some distance" away, the chairman of the British Museum has said. Former Conservative chancellor George Osborne was responding to comments made last week by a former adviser to the Greek government who said that "negotiations have gone forward" and a deal was "close." Greece maintains the ancient antiquities, also known as the Parthenon Sculptures, were illegally removed from Athens' acropolis, and has long called for their return from the museum. Osborne suggested UK Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer had contributed to a warmer tone for negotiations and said the museum is looking at the possibility of a long-term loan. The British Museum is forbidden by law from giving away any of its artefacts.