A study of the advantages and disadvantages in using facilitative mediation techniques in the People's Mediation in China
I. INTRODUCTION介绍
A. Background背景
人民调解是我国法律建设中的一项独特制度，是现行调解制度的组成部分。《中华人民共和国人民调解法》已经2010年8月28日第十一届全国人民代表大会常务委员会第十六次会议通过，自2011年1月1日起施行。
People's mediation is a unique system in the legal construction in China, it is an integral part of the existing mediation system. The People's Mediation Law of People's Republic of China was passed by the sixteenth meeting of the 11th NPC Standing Committee on August 28, 2010 and was effective from January 1, 2011.
我国调解制度主要由三部分组成：一是法院调解，又称诉讼调解，它是在人民法院的主持下，通过劝导和教育，促使当事人达成调解协议。二是行政调解，又称诉讼调解，是指在中国行政机关主持下，对争议进行调解的活动。三是人民调解，属于无诉讼调解。在人民调解委员会的主持下，以国家法律、法规、规章、规范和社会公德为依据，调解、说服民事纠纷当事人，鼓励他们平等理解和协商，达成消除纷争的自愿协议。根据宪法、民事诉讼法、人民调解委员会组织条例的规定，人民调解委员会一般是镇、街道办事处的群众组织，也可以在农村村民委员会、市、社区居民委员会中设立，必要时可以进入。企事业单位可以设立人民调解委员会；根据需要，也可以设立区域性、行业性的人民调解委员会，发挥人民调解纠纷的作用，在基层人民政府和基层司法行政部门的指导下工作。人民调解委员会调解公民、公民、法人和其他社会组织之间发生的有关民事权利义务的各种民事纠纷。人民调解委员会的工作原则是：
China’s mediation system consists of three main parts: first is court mediation, it is also known as lawsuit mediation, it is under the auspices of the people's court, by persuasion and education to promote the parties to reach a mediation agreement. Second is administrative mediation, it is also known as lawsuit mediation, it refers to the activities that are under the auspices of China’s administrative organs to carry out mediation activities towards dispute. Third is people's mediation, it belongs to mediation without litigation. It is under the auspices of people's mediation committees, taking national laws, regulations, rules, norms and social ethics as the basis to mediate, persuade the parties of civil dispute and encourage them to mutually understand and consult equally to achieve a voluntary agreement to eliminate strife. According to provisions of the Constitution, the Civil Procedure Law, organizational regulations of the people's mediation committee, people's mediation committees are generally the mass organizations of town or neighborhood offices, they can also be set up in rural villagers' committee, city / community residents’ committee; if necessary, enterprises and institutions can establish people's mediation committees; according to needs, regional, industrial people's mediation committees can also be established, they play the role of mediating dispute among people and they work under the guidance of grass-roots people's governments and grass-roots judicial administrative departments. People's mediation committees mediate various civil disputes occurring between citizens, citizens and legal persons, other social organizations about civil rights and obligations. Working principles of people's mediation committees include the following points.
① They must strictly abide by national laws, policies in mediation.①调解必须严格遵守国家法律、政策。
② They must work in mediation under the premise of voluntary and equality of the parties.②调解必须在当事人自愿平等的前提下进行。
③ They must ascertain the facts, distinguish right from wrong, based on this to mediate.③必须查明事实，分清是非，在此基础上进行调解。
④ Without mediation or if mediation fails, they can not prevent the parties from bringing a suit in a people's court. Agreement reached through mediation has the force of law. Since last year, people's mediation organizations have carried out a total of nearly 4.38 million times of conflict investigation to prevent disputes of 305 million pieces and mediate disputes of 13,730,000 pieces, the success rate of mediation was 97.8%. Practice has proved that the people's mediation is a good form of people’s self-management, self-education, it plays an active role in promotion of unity of people, safeguarding social stability, reducing disputes, crime prevention, as well as promoting the establishment of "two civilizations" of socialist.④未经调解或者调解不成的，当事人不能向人民法院起诉。调解达成的协议具有法律效力。自去年以来，人民调解组织共开展冲突调查438万次，预防纠纷3.05亿件，调解纠纷13.73万件，调解成功率97.8%。实践证明，人民调解是人民自我管理、自我教育的良好形式，在促进人民团结、维护社会稳定、减少纠纷、预防犯罪、促进社会主义“两个文明”建设等方面发挥了积极作用。
..................................
I. INTRODUCTION........................................................................................................................3
A. Background.............................................................................................................................3
B. Problem Statements.................................................................................................................4
C. Research Significance..............................................................................................................5
II. CHARACTERISTICS AND MISSIONS OF PEOPLE’S MEDIATION IN CHINA................6
A. Characteristics of people's mediation......................................................................................6
1. People Character.................................................................................................................6
2. Democratic Nature..............................................................................................................7
3. Autonomy............................................................................................................................7
4. Quasi-judicial Features........................................................................................................7
B. Missions of People's Mediation in China.................................................................................8
1. Mediate Civil Disputes and Prevent Intensified Disputes...................................................8
2. Carry out Legal Publicity and Education of Socialist Ethics..............................................9
3. Actively Promote Grassroots Democracy and Rule of Law................................................9
III. THE FACILITATIVE MEDIATION TECHNIQUES................................................................9
A. Mediation Mode........................................................................................................................9
B. Facilitative Mediation Techniques...........................................................................................11
1. Interest-based Technique...................................................................................................11
2. Balance-based Technique...................................................................................................12
3. Dispute Resolving-based Technique..................................................................................12
4. Mediation Communication-based Technique....................................................................12
5. Confidentiality-based Technique.....................................................................................13
C. China’s Unique Facilitative Mediation Techniques............................................................13
IV. ADVANTAGES IN USING FACILITATIVE MEDIATION TECHNIQUES IN THE PEOPLE’S MEDIATION IN CHINA...........................................................................................16
A. Agree with Chinese Traditional Culture..............................................................................16
B. Correspond to Demands of China's Politics and Laws.........................................................18
C. Fit with the Needs of the Public............................................................................................20
V. DISADVANTAGES IN USING FACILITATIVE MEDIATION TECHNIQUES IN THE PEOPLE’S MEDIATION................................................................................................................22
A. Damage the Interests of the Parties.......................................................................................22
B. Lack of Supervision...............................................................................................................25
C. Have High Requirements for Professional Quality of Mediators.........................................26
D. Go against the Generation of Legal Awareness....................................................................28
E. Pay less Attention to Confidentiality.....................................................................................29
VI. RECOMMENDATIONS...........................................................................................................31
A. Improve the Level of Mediation............................................................................................31
1. Expand Mediator Team....................................................................................................32
2. Increase Support for People’s Mediation Work...............................................................33
3. Emphasize Training for Mediator....................................................................................34
B. Implement Principle of Voluntary Mediation.......................................................................35
C. Balance National Laws and Interests of the Parties..............................................................37
D. Strengthen Supervision.........................................................................................................38
E. Emphasize Confidentiality....................................................................................................39
1. Sign Confidentiality Agreement in Mediation.................................................................40
2. Further Improve the Exclusionary Rule...........................................................................40
VII. CONCLUSION........................................................................................................................41
REFERENCES.................................................................................................................................43
VII. CONCLUSION
Low costs, high success rate of people's mediation have played a very important role in promoting China's judicial system to maximize the public’s access to justice.
However, it should be noted that there are still many problems in people’s mediation in practice, which will affect that people’s mediation continues to play a role in dispute resoling in China in future. Facilitative mediation mode and techniques are better than evaluative mediation, transformative mediation in adapting to China’s specific culture, social and political backgrounds. Facilitative mediation mode and techniques played a key role for Chinese people's mediation system in the past, but it should be mentioned that these problems existing in current people's mediation system are related to the technical characteristics of facilitative mediation itself, on the one hand, the advantages of facilitative mediation techniques help people’s mediation to play its own role in resolving disputes, maintaining social stability, on the other hand, the disadvantage of facilitative mediation techniques also lead to a lot of problems in people's mediation system. From the perspective of the advantages, firstly, facilitative mediation techniques are in line with China's unique history, culture and tradition, which makes facilitative mediation techniques can be recognized by Chinese people and government agencies. Second, facilitative mediation techniques with distinct Chinese characteristics play an active role in promotion of dispute resoling, safeguarding social stability and saving judicial resources, it also shows that the facilitative mediation techniques with distinct Chinese characteristics are in line with and the needs of China's politics and laws. Finally, in the process of helping Chinese citizens to have an access to justice, facilitative mediation techniques play a very important role. Judging from the disadvantages, first of all, they tend to take a more eclectic approach to deal with disputes, they first of all consider the issue of reaching a mediation agreement, followed by considering the responsibilities and interests of both parties. Then, in facilitative mediation, a mediator should take a neutral position. Under the current Chinese mediation system, there are still many gaps in the supervision of people's mediation committees towards mediators, the mediators have some illegal behavior in mediation process to a certain extent. Thirdly, in terms of skills used for dispute resolving and communication skills used in mediation process, it needs mediators to have knowledge about relevant laws and regulations, good language skills and communication skills, a positive mental attitude to resist pressure. It can be said that the use of facilitative mediation techniques have high requirements for professional quality of mediators. However, all levels of governments do not have enough emphasis on people's mediation work in provision of support in terms of funds and personnel. Serious shortage of funds for mediation work leads to less good quality of mediators, which affects the quality of mediating disputes. Fourthly, China’s facilitative mediation techniques are not conducive to the formation of legal awareness of the society. Finally, China's facilitative mediation pays less attention to confidentiality, which is not conducive to the parties’ trust for people's mediation system, hindering the achievement of a mediation agreement. Based on the above analysis, the author puts forward recommendations on how to avoid the disadvantages presented by facilitative mediation techniques through strengthening and improving the quality of mediators, implementation of the principle of voluntary, balancing national laws and interests of the parties, strengthening the supervision towards mediators, improving the importance attached to confidentiality.
REFERENCES
Aiming Song, Occupation of "People's Mediators, 5 People's Mediation, 23 (2011).
Carole J. Brown, Facilitative Mediation: The Classic Approach. (2002), http://gevim.co.il/wp-content/uploads/2014/01/Facilitative-Mediation.pdf.
Chengyou Tian, Value and Use of Folk Customs in Judicial Practice, 1 Journal of Shandong University, 15 (2008).
Dai Si-nong, Mediation Mechanism of Financial Consumer Protection in SFTZ. International Business Research, 202, 89-95. (2015).
Dongying Hong, Studies on Change of Contemporary China’s Mediation System, 11 East China University of Political Science. 235-248 (2007).
Ellen A. Waldman, The Evaluative-facilitative Debate in Mediation: Applying the Lens of Therapeutic Jurisprudence, 82 Marquette Law Review. 155 (1998).
Feng Gao, Improvement of People's Mediation System in the Process of Building a Harmonious Society, 11 Southwest University of Politics and Law. 145-160 (2009).
Gang Zhao, Analysis of the Effectiveness of People's Mediation Agreement and Procedural Safeguards, 12 Law. 17 (2011).
Hao Li, Research on Alarming Phenomenon in Mediation – a Large Number of Mediation Cases Poured into Enforcement, 8 Law. 139-145 (2013).
Heli Yu, Misunderstanding of Customary Law and Its Relationship with State Law, 5 Journal of Shandong University, 45 (2006).
Honghui Liang, Research on Regulatory Mechanisms of People's Mediation, 8 Journal of Xiangtan University, 4 (2013).
Jianhua Xiao, Yufu Tang, Analysis on Confidentiality of Court Mediation, 5 Science of Law, 11 (2011).
Joseph Folger, Harmony and Transformative Mediation Practice: Sustaining Ideological Differences in Purpose and Practice, 84 North Dakota Law Review. 823 (2008).
Joseph P. Stulberg, Facilitative Versus Evaluative Mediator Orientations: Piercing the "Grid" Lock. 24 Florida State University Law Review. 985 - 1001. (1997).
Jun Wu, Further Improve the People's Mediation System, 1 Study & Exploration, 9 (2012).
Legal Daily, People's Mediation Resolve Conflicts and Disputes of Thirteen Hundred Million Pieces. (2015), http://legal.people.com.cn/n/2014/1020/c188502-25864385.html. 12.
Linqi Li, Analysis on the Principle of Confidentiality of People's Mediation, 21 Knowledge Economy, 8 (2014).
Minxing Zhao, Significance of American Community Mediation for China’s People Mediation, 7 Law and the Society, 6 (2012).
Murray S. Levin, The Propriety of Evaluative Mediation: Concerns about the Nature and Quality of an Evaluative Opinion, 16 Disp. 267- 286 (2001).
People's Daily. China's Judicial Reform. (2012), http://news.qq.com/a/20121010/000348_2.htm.
Rong Zhang, The Problems and Measures of People’s mediation system in the Presence of a Harmonious Society, 1 China - ASEAN Expo. 15 (2012).
Scott H. Hughes, Alternative Dispute Resolution: Facilitative Mediation or Evaluative Mediation: May Your Choice be a Wise One. 59 Alabama Law Review. 246-247 (1998).
Weiguo Feng, People's Mediation System in Transformation: Challenges and Response, 7 Research on Rule of Law. 124 (2014).
Wei Wang, Analysis on the Similarities and Differences between Facilitative Mediation in Hong Kong and the Court Mediation, People's Mediation in Chinese Mainland, 2 Study of Crime. 93 (2013).
Weiping Zhang, Wanyi Zhao, and Mingzhong Guo, People’s Mediation System and Chinese Traditional Culture, 3 Lgal studies and Research. 54 (1987).
Wei Wang, Analysis on the Similarities and Differences between Facilitative Mediation in Hong Kong and the Court Mediation, People's Mediation in Chinese Mainland, 2 Study of Crime. 93 (2013).
Xinlin Zhu, People's Mediation: Decline and Revival - Based on Analysis of Quantitative People's Mediation during 1986—2009, 4 Henan University of Economics and Political Science and Law. 368-388 (2012).
Yongkun Zhou, Trends of Abuse of Mediation, 6 Hebei Academic Journal, 85 (2006).
Yong Li, Predicament and Breakthrough of Judicial Confirmation System of People’s Mediation, 5 Science & Engineering. 5 (2012).
Yulin Yang, Regulate People's Mediation Agreement to Improve the Level of People's Mediation Work, 6 Chinese Justice, 105 (2005).
Zhixin Chen, Reflections on Referring to the ADR Achievements from Other Countries in the Development of People's Mediation System, 4 Chinese justice. 11-135 (2005).
Zongzhi Long, Reflections on "Mediation" and "Judicial Activism", 4 Tribune, 10 (2010).
[Civil Procedure Law of the People's Republic of China] (promulgated by the Fourth Session of the Seventh National People's Congress of the People’s Republic of China, April 9, 1991, effective April 9, 1991), art. 85, http://baike.baidu.com/link?url=YkyCYUAfbdlAtPSDG-lL0VTaan13a1pBHw3iE1yRkznPsptrw1gsVJ2qeeNYfWsV6azG1vvvmTipzWinvd_KGq.)
[Civil Procedure Law of the People's Republic of China] (promulgated by the 1636th meeting of the Judicial Committee of the Supreme People's Court of the People’s Republic of China, December 18, 2014, effective February 4, 2015), art. 134, http://baike.baidu.com/link?url=CmoijV9h9Uo0P8BjSOYk2tEIzZ-yiSpm4y-Q5eZP_NebbtzXOc7T8vr2bKCfg4Zgz-gWis2vbp7ej9-se_XWzq.)
[Issues Supreme People's Court on Civil Evidence] (promulgated by the 1201 meeting of the Judicial Committee of the Supreme People's Court of the People’s Republic of China, December 6, 2001, effective April 1, 2002), art. 36, http://www.china.com.cn/chinese/PI-c/92700.htm.)
[People's Mediation Law of the People's Republic of China] (promulgated by the Sixteenth Meeting of the 11th National People's Congress Standing Committee of the People's Republic of China, August 28, 2010, effective January 1, 2011), art. 23, http://www.law-lib.com/law/law_view.asp?id=321365.)
[Provisions of the Supreme People's Court on Several Issues of Civil Mediation Work] (promulgated by Order No. 1321 of the President of the People’s Republic of China, August 18, 2004, effective November 1, 2004), art. 8, http://baike.baidu.com/link?url=zgFV6KCTpz1aE5I5ggecXYGXuYGr6wH-sxHAbG_6zSyTJCshu8vqkDD0HAsfdJDCVvIxx_x_6rg6-OAOxUrO6q.)
[Civil Procedure Law of the People's Republic of China] (promulgated by Order No. 44 of the President of the People’s Republic of China, April 23, 1991, effective April 9, 1991), art. 134, http://www.china.org.cn/english/government/207343.htm.)
[Issues Supreme People's Court on Civil Evidence] (promulgated by Order No. 44 of the President of the People’s Republic of China, April 23, 1991, effective April 9, 1991), art. 36, http://www.china.org.cn/english/government/207343.htm.)
[People's Mediation Law of the People's Republic of China] (promulgated by Order No. 44 of the President of the People’s Republic of China, April 23, 1991, effective April 9, 1991), art. 23, http://www.china.org.cn/english/government/207343.htm.)