The next step in the local mediation process is to have magistrates trained as skilled family and community mediators.
The call from former Chief Justice of Barbados Sir Patterson Cheltenham.
He says the current protocol in the Magistrates Court is geared towards the Civil Division, but there are no guidelines for how to deal with matters in the Criminal Division.
Sir Patterson says he has been asked to continue consulting as widely as possible to find out how other jurisdictions deal with community-based mediation.
He was speaking as a guest on a panel discussion on the far-reaching effects of mediation during Mediation Week.
Meanwhile, Court of Appeal Judge Justice Francis Belle says he headed the St. Lucia Criminal Division where there are rules for mediation in that specific area.
But he notes, mediation in those criminal courts is not as straightforward as in the civil courts, and they are set to deal with minor crimes and not major offences.
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