POLICE REFERRALS TO MEDIATION SAVING COURT TIME
Source: Victoria. Attorney General. Media Release
"Police in Frankston, Latrobe and Brimbank are piloting a new system for referring people in dispute to mediation before their matters escalate to court, Deputy Premier and Attorney-General Rob Hulls said. Mr Hulls said the pilot program aimed to reduce the number of non-family violence disputes, such as neighbourhood and fence disputes, reaching the court system.
“Victoria Police now have the option of referring suitable disputes for mediation to the Dispute Settlement Centre of Victoria (DSCV),” Mr Hulls said. “The pilot aims to catch disputes early in the process before they escalate, to prevent the distress of ongoing disputes and maximise the chances of restoring relationships.” The police stations taking part in the pilot include Frankston, Sunshine, Keilor Downs, Morwell, Traralgon, Churchill, Boolarra and Moe. The police pilot program will run until 31 December 2009 after which it will be evaluated to assess whether it should be continued or expanded to other areas."