| 30 cases up for mediation
FOLLOWING the government's bid to unclog court dockets, Supreme Court Associate Justice Angelina Gutierrez inaugurated the first mediation center in the country Friday at the Baguio City Hall of Justice.
Pinoy Votes: Sun.Star Election 2007 Coverage
Sandoval also administered the oaths of accredited mediators from Baguio, Benguet and La Union.
Some 30 cases pending in the different Regional Trial Courts in Baguio are up for judicial dispute resolution, said RTC Branch 60 Presiding Judge Edilberto Claravall.
Most of these cases involve rescission of contracts, estafa, nullification of foreclosure sale, libel, collection of sums of money, recovery of ownership and petition for the issuance of an injunction and writ of preliminary injunction, among others.
Last-minute mediation talks between union, DHBs
Last-minute talks between District Health Boards and the Medical Laboratory Workers Union to avoid a nationwide strike on Wednesday have begun in Auckland. Lab workers from the 16 DHBs are scheduled to walk off the job for 48 hours on Wednesday from 8am, and 24 hours on 24 April over a contract dispute. The strike will disrupt medical labs in hospitals, at the Blood Service, and in some community labs in the South Island. Life preserving services will be in place, but dozens of elective surgeries will be cancelled. A spokesman for the Blood Service, Paul Hayes, says the threat of strike action a worry, but business will continue in a reduced capacity. The union is seeking an improved pay scale, control over working hours, and to retain conditions for workers who are contracted out to private laboratories.
Qualcomm Wants Nokia Arbitration
The San Diego-based Qualcomm asked the American Arbitration Association to rule that Nokia's continued use of Qualcomm's patents in Nokia's CDMA cellular handsets "constitutes an election by Nokia to extend its license under the parties' existing agreement." The news comes as the companies continue to haggle over the terms of a license due to expire Monday. Nokia said earlier Thursday it would unilaterally pay Qualcomm $20 million for second-quarter licensing rights without affecting the existing dispute. Qualcomm responded Thursday afternoon that "Nokia has no more right to unilaterally set a price than the average consumer has a right to walk into a store, take a product off the shelf, and walk out with it after leaving only a fraction of the established price on the counter.
Mount Ashland team 'pleased' with latest mediation session
Mediators from the Mount Ashland ski area and the city of Ashland met Tuesday in Ashland to try to resolve their differences over how to proceed with building new ski trails on the 7,500-foot mountain, but nobody was saying anything about what went on behind closed doors. Under Oregon law, the details of mediation sessions are confidential. When the process ends, if there's an agreement, the terms are announced. "Either we'll have an agreement or we won't," said Martha Bennett, Ashland's city administrator and a member of the city's mediation team. Bill Little, a member of the Mount Ashland Association's mediation team, also declined to reveal any details of the session. Little did say the nonprofit ski area was "pleased with the results, and we will continue to move forward with our plans to begin construction June 1." That work would include cutting trees for ski trails, he said.
Consultation on Reform of Justice System Held in Portland
The last in the series of 22 public consultations on reform of the Jamaican justice system was held at the Old Marina in Port Antonio on Tuesday, April 17. They were held across the country to engage members of the public, as well as key justice system stakeholders to gather information on the problems, concerns and opportunities facing the justice system in Jamaica. Among those in attendance were justices of the peace, members of the Jamaica Constabulary Force (JCF), representatives of various business and civic organizations in Portland and members of the general public. Included in the matters discussed were delays in the trial of court cases, the need to improve the operation of the Children's Court, the appropriate mode of attire in court, mediation training for Justices of the Peace (JPs) and other court officials, the importance of restorative justice, the appropriate sentencing for particular crimes, and the need to improve the condition of court houses.
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