Superior Court of Québec: Judicial Settlement Conferencing

Overview

This three-day competency-based program was an introduction to settlement conferences. It  allowed participating judges to familiarize themselves with the procedural framework for settlement  conferences and, more importantly, to learn and apply effective techniques for presiding them. 

Objectives

This program aimed to help judges develop useful skills for conducting settlement  conferences, including identifying parties’ issues and interests, managing the process effectively and  fairly, taking different approaches to negotiation, recognizing ethical issues, following the rules of  conduct, and helping the parties overcome resistance. 

Summary

This seminar used case studies to help judges develop and practise skills relevant to  settlement conferences. Through presentations by experienced judges, interactive demos and breakout  exercises, the first part of the seminar familiarized participants with the process for chairing settlement  conferences and went over useful techniques and strategies. The second part focused on role-playing,  allowing judges to apply these techniques and get feedback from the instructors. The last part examined  ethical issues related to settlement conferences through case studies that were discussed in breakout  groups and plenary sessions.