6.—(1) A tribunal or the Registrar (called in this rule the Court) may, at any time after the commencement of any proceedings, of the Court’s own motion or on an application by any party to the proceedings, direct any party to those proceedings to appear before the Court, for the Court to make such order or give such directions as the Court thinks fit, for the just, expeditious and economical disposal of the cause or matter.
(2) The orders and directions which the Court may make or give under paragraph (1) include one or more of the following:
(a)
an order that the plaintiff and the respondent attend such mediation or counselling as the Court may direct;
(b)
any direction necessary for and incidental to the proper carrying into effect of an order under sub‑paragraph (a);
(c)
an order that all further proceedings in the action be stayed until the plaintiff and the respondent have attended the mediation or counselling (as the case may be).
(3) To avoid doubt —
(a)
Order 34A of the Rules of Court (Cap. 322, R 5) (other than Rule 4 of that Order) applies to all proceedings before the Court;
[S 50/2018 wef 01/02/2018]
(b)
Order 34A, Rule 4 of the Rules of Court applies to proceedings before the Court in any case where any party to those proceedings is represented by a solicitor in accordance with section 29(3) of the Act; and
[S 50/2018 wef 01/02/2018]
(c)
where the Court has made an order under paragraph (2)(a) that the plaintiff and the respondent attend mediation, the Court may direct that the mediation be conducted —