U2 AOS2 - Remedies Flashcards
what are the methods used to resolve a civil dispute called?
dispute resolution methods
what are dispute resolution methods?
ways of resolving a civil dispute that do not involve a hearing at a court or a tribunal
what are the 3 dispute resolution methods?
mediation, conciliation, and arbitration
why does the legal system encourage dispute resolution methods?
because they are less expensive and less stressful than court/tribunal action
what is mediation?
a dispute resolution method that uses an independent third party to held disputing parties reach a resolution
what is the role of the mediator in mediation?
- evens out imbalance between parties
- does not need to be an expert in areas of law
- does not make decisions about whether there has been a breach of law
- does not offer legal advice
what does a mediator not do?
make binding decisions on the parties/interfere or persuade
what does ‘without prejudice basis’ mean and where does it apply?
it means that discussions that occur during dispute resolution methods cannot be used against either party if the matter must go to court/a tribunal
it applies during mediation and conciliation
what happens if a case is settled at mediation?
parties enter into the terms of settlement/a deed of agreement
what is the terms of settlement?
a legally binding contract that sets out the terms on which the parties agree to resolve their dispute
are the terms of settlement public or private?
private, however it may be enforceable through the courts
how is mediation accessed?
- private mediation orgnaised by parties
- parties can be referred to mediation by a court before a final trial/hearing
- parties are often referred to mediation by a tribunal before a hearing
what is conciliation?
a dispute resolution method and uses an independent third party to help the disputing parties reach a resolution
what are the similarities and differences between mediation and conciliation?
they have the same processes/operate the same way, however the role of the third party is different
what is the role of a conciliator?
- listens to both sides of the dispute
- makes suggestions about appropriate ways to resolve the dispute
- has specialist knowledge about the area relating to the dispute
what can a conciliator not do?
make binding decisions on the parties
how is conciliation accessed?
- used by dispute resolution bodies (e.g. parties in a VCAT dispute are often sent to a compulsory conference)
- some specialised courts, like family court, use conciliation
what is a compulsory conference?
a confidential meeting between parties in a dispute with a third party present during which they use conciliation to try and resolve their dispute
what are the strengths of mediation and conciliation?
- decisions made are more likely to be accepted by parties as they reach the agreement themselves
- less formal + less stressful
- less confrontational (improves relationships between parties)
- more flexible
- higher chance of achieving a ‘win-win’ situation
- conciliator can guide parties as they have specialist knowledge (conciliation ONLY)
what are the weaknesses of mediation and conciliation?
- both parties must be willing to participate
- terms are not binding + not enforceable unless parties enter terms of settlement
- mediators + conciliators have no power to make decisions
- not appropriate for some disputes if there is a power imbalance between parties
- no legal represetation is present therefore parties may use unethical tactics
- not useful if an urgent injunction or court involvement is necessary
- mediator cannot give advice or offer suggestions (mediator ONLY)
what is arbitration?
a dispute resolution method that uses an appointed third party to listen to both sides of a dispute and make a legally binding decision on the parties (known as an arbitral award)
what are the differences between arbitration and the other 2 dispute resolution methods?
- more formal
- arbitrator makes binding decisions that are fully enforceable on parties
- charges parties a fee for their services
- has specialist knowledge in specific kinda of disputes
in what situations is arbitration used?
- if parties have previously agreed (usually through a contract) that they’ll use arbitration if a dispute arises between them
- if a civil claim arises in the magistrate’s court that involves less than $10,000, arbitration is used
what are the strengths of arbitation?
- flexibility (because parties arrange it themselves and decide how it is to be conducted)
- less formal (depending on what parties have decided)
- cheaper than court (depending on what parties have decided)
- third party has specialist expertise
- private + confidential and avoids publicity
what are the weaknesses of arbitration?
- not as flexible as mediation and conciliation
- can be as formal as court
- more expensive than mediation and conciliation
- only available in certain circumstances
- can take a long time for a decision to be reached
- parties have no control over outcome imposed by third party
when are dispute resolution bodies used?
if dispute resolution methods are unable to allow parties to recah an agreement in a civil case
what are the 4 types of dispute resolution bodies?
complaints bodies, ombudsmen, tribunals, courts
how do tribunals obtain their power?
from an act of parliament that gives them power
what are the strengths of a tribunal?
- low cost
- efficient
- speedy
- increases community access to justice
- less formal than court
- good for small disputes
what are the 2 types of tribunals in australia?
commonwealth tribunals and state tribunals
what are examples of commonwealth tribunals?
- administrative appeals tribunal (aat) (when a party seeks an independent review of a commonwealth gov. decision)
- fair work commission (fwc) (workplace relations/workplace disputes)
- national native title tribunal (native title claims/indigenous land title claims)
what are examples of state (victorian) tribunals?
- victims of crime assistance tribunal (vocat) (financial assistance for victims, their families, and witnesses of violent crime)
- victorian civil and adminstrative tribunal (vcat) (broad range of civil disputes like smallcivil claims, residential tenancy disputes, discrimination, guardianship, etc.)
- mental health tribunal (protects people with mental illnesses)
what are the 5 divisions of vcat?
- administrative division
- civil division
- human rights division
- planning and environment division
- residential tenancies division
what are divisions of vcat divided into?
one or more lists
what are some strengths of vcat?
- low fees
- variety of locations across victoria
- speed in determining cases
- cases determined by a vcat member with no affiliation with either party
- less formal
- offers mediation + conciliation before making a binding decision (arbitration)
what is the person making an application to vcat called?
the applicant
what is the defendant party called in a vcat hearing?
the responden