Public Discussion on The Mediation and Alternative Dispute Resolution
Students from the Law Faculty attended a public discussion on the Mediation and Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR) delivered by the judge Metody Lalov, Chairman of Sofia District Court, judge Evgeny Georgiev, Member of the Commission of Agreement and Mediation Center at Sofia District Court and Sofia City Court and Eliza Nikolova, Chairwoman of the Professional Association of Mediators in Bulgaria. The meeting with the leading jurists which was held in the Large Conference Hall was organized on the occasion of the 25th Anniversary of the UNWE Law Faculty.
It is the first event from the series devoted to the Law Faculty Anniversary, pointed out its Dean Assoc. Prof. Dr. Jivko Draganov. He outlined the topic of discussion and clarified that the mediation had been comparatively new approach in Bulgaria. Its advantages are undisputable but some obstacles for its implementation coming out of the society manner of life should be overcome, reviewed Assoc. Prof. Draganov.
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| Judge Metody Lalov, judge Evgeny Georgiev, Prof. Bozhana Nedelcheva, Assoc. Prof. Jivko Draganov, Eliza Nikolova (from the right to the left) |
I am proud of what happens at the Law Faculty which I have also graduated, expressed his recognition the judge Metody Lalov. The usefulness of mediation is incomparably larger that its disadvantages, explicitly said the Chairman of Sofia District Court assessing as administrator the work of Agreement and Mediation Center. The profession of judge is as the profession of surgeon and the mediator has the privilege and skills to go deep in the human problem also as a psychologist. Well known is the thought that the slow justice is in fact a denial of justice, reminded judge Lalov and exposed the opportunities of mediation for solving the dispute quickly, cheaply and effectively. Be opened to that new field in our country because the mediation technics are based much more on the psychological practices and not so much on the legal practices, pointed the judge to students. Because the mediators are social doctors not craftsmen, “adjudged” metaphorically judge Lalov.
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| During the meeting in the Large Conference Hall |
The mediation is a modern approach of voluntarily dispute resolution in which the parties are helped by a third party, neutral and impartial person - mediator for achieving a mutually acceptable agreement, pointed out also judge Evgeny Georgiev. He outlined three major factors in the work of mediator: communication, analysis, persistency and patience necessary for the legal “intermediaries” to begin and complete the procedure to the end. In mediation there is no forcing on anybody`s will and there is no losing party, reviewed judge Georgiev.
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| Students from the Law Faculty of UNWE |
The mediation application will expand, explicitly said also Eliza Nikolova who had also graduated from the UNWE Law Faculty. In her presentation she examined the building up of a structure for alternative dispute resolution, skills of analyzing the case and generating the options, the best practices, legal mediation frame and the European Union regulations.
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| Judge Lalov (on the right) and judge Georgiev |
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| Eliza Nikolova and Assoc. Prof. Jivko Draganov |
