Superior Court of Québec: Judicial Settlement Conferencing 2022
This three-day program was an introduction to settlement conferencing. Focused on the development of judicial skills, it allowed participating judges to familiarize themselves with the procedural framework for settlement conferences and learn and apply techniques to effectively chair them.
Number of Participants: 19
Overview
This three-day program was an introduction to settlement conferencing. Focused on the development of judicial skills, it allowed participating judges to familiarize themselves with the procedural framework for settlement conferences and learn and apply techniques to effectively chair them.
Objectives
This program was aimed at developing various judicial skills in connection with settlement conferences, including identifying issues and interests, managing the process effectively and fairly, taking different approaches to negotiation, recognizing ethical issues and applying ethical rules, and helping the parties overcome barriers of resistance to settling.
Summary
This training utilized case studies to help judges develop and practise their skills in connection with settlement conferences. Through presentations by experienced judges, interactive demonstrations and small group exercises, the first part of the training sought to explain to participants the process to follow when chairing a settlement conference and to teach them techniques and strategies to implement when following this process. The second part of the training focused on role-playing, allowing judges to apply these techniques and get feedback from the instructors. The last part of the training examined ethical issues related to settlement conferences through case studies that were discussed in breakout groups and plenary sessions.