New Rules of the Superior Courts relating to Mediation were signed into law on 15 September 2012.

These rules insert a new rule which facilitates an application to the Master of the High Court by a party or parties to a mediation agreement, for an order making the agreement a rule of court. This then has the effect of making the mediation agreement enforceable against any of the parties to the agreement.

The Master may require any party to the agreement who is not an applicant to verify their consent to the application.

The new rule represents another development within the Irish legal framework for mediation as a complementary and supportive form of alternative dispute resolution.

Contributed by  Jarleth Heneghan, Cassandra Byrne.

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