Community Mediation Centres Bill

Bill No. 9/1997

Read the first time on 25th August 1997.
An Act to provide for the establishment and operation of Community Mediation Centres to provide mediation services connected with certain disputes.
Be it enacted by the President with the advice and consent of the Parliament of Singapore, as follows:
PART I
PRELIMINARY
Short title and commencement
1.  This Act may be cited as the Community Mediation Centres Act 1997 and shall come into operation on such date as the Minister may, by notification in the Gazette, appoint.
Interpretation
2.—(1)  In this Act, unless the context otherwise requires —
“Community Mediation Centre” means a Community Mediation Centre established under section 3;
“Court” means the Subordinate Courts or the High Court, as the case may be;
“Director” means a person holding office or duly acting as Director of a Community Mediation Centre;
“functions” includes powers, authorities and duties;
“mediation” includes —
(a)the undertaking of any activity for the purpose of promoting the discussion and settlement of disputes;
(b)the bringing together of the parties to any dispute for that purpose, either at the request of one of the parties to the dispute or on the initiative of a Director; and
(c)the follow-up of any matter the subject of any such discussion or settlement;
“mediation session” means a meeting in accordance with this Act between 2 or more parties who are in dispute on any matter;
“mediator”, in relation to a Community Mediation Centre, means —
(a)the Director of the Centre; or
(b)any person for the time being appointed under section 8 as a mediator for the Centre.
(2)  A reference in this Act to the exercise of a function includes, where the function is a duty, a reference to the performance of the duty.
(3)  A reference in this Act to the parties to a mediation session includes a reference to the parties to a dispute in respect of which an application for a mediation session is duly made, but does not include a reference to the mediator conducting the mediation session.
(4)  A reference in this Act to the conduct of a mediation session by a mediator includes a reference to the conduct of a mediation session in the presence, or under the supervision, of the mediator.