Chuck clarifies Mediation Act applies only to paid practitioners

The parliamentary opposition is pressing the government on whether domestic mediation needs formal regulation, citing the expense that rules can place on people who use the service. Justice Minister Delroy Chuck offered a clarification in the House of Representatives this week as MPs debated the Mediation Act.

Health Minister Dr. Christopher backed the bill, citing Jamaica Injury Surveillance System figures for 2024 that recorded more than 33,000 injuries, nearly 7,000 of them violence-related and a burden on the health sector.

He said public health supports the legislation because a structured mediation framework can settle conflicts before they turn into crises. From experience, he argued, many disputes begin small within families and communities, usually among people who already know one another, and without timely intervention can escalate into criminal probes, emergency medical cases, rising tensions, and even deaths.

The proposed Mediation Act would oversee how mediation is practised, provide for registration of mediators, and put a code of conduct under a Mediation Board.

Opposition Leader Mark Golding said regulation carries costs for those who fall under it, including fees, compliance steps, and enforcement outlays, and that it is unclear what problem justifies bringing domestic mediation into a regulated space. He said he is wary of a regulatory load that could discourage people from using mediation and prove counterproductive.

Chuck sought to narrow the scope. Anyone may practise mediation, he said, but anyone who charges for it must be certified and listed on the registry. Others may continue to mediate so long as they do not charge.

Debate on the Mediation Act is due to conclude at the next sitting of the House.