Mediation in Poland: The Prospects
Mediation in Poland: The Prospects

Summary/Abstract: In the last few years, the need for developing dispute resolution forms that could relieve the judiciary system and provide Poles with efficient protection of their rights has been acknowledged and various alternative dispute resolution forms referring to different types of disputes have been introduced, including mediations in criminal cases (in 1997), in disputes between the citizens and public administration (2002), and in civil law cases (2005). The significance of mediation is constantly increasing due to Poland’s accession to the European Union and the need to adapt the Polish legal system (and the legal assistance system) to European standards. The use of mediation though developing and appreciated - is still limited due to problems in the organization of the mediation services, its relation to the court, prejudice and reluctance of the professional lawyers and lack of knowledge about mediation in Polish society. When used, mediation proves to be efficient and satisfactory, resulting in agreement and thus ending the dispute. The paper explores the limitations and suggests ways to overcome the problems in the use of mediation in the resolution of legal disputes.

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