The reconciliation bench in the Vitebsk Regional Economic Court sets disputants on a peaceful path

October 13, Vitebsk / Sergey Kochetov - BELTA /. The number of economic disputes resolved through mediation procedures in the Vitebsk Regional Economic Court in January-September increased by almost 40% compared to the same period in 2009, reaching 2.6 thousand cases. This was reported to a BELTA correspondent by Olga Kibisova, head of the court's judicial practice department. Out of the total number of cases where a mediation procedure was initiated, in 88% of instances, the parties managed to reach agreements and sign settlement agreements. The effectiveness of this simplified legal procedure increased by 62% compared to the same period in 2009. Business entities most frequently used mediation to resolve disputes arising from non-fulfillment of contractual obligations. Agreements could not be reached in 317 cases, and the materials were transferred to judges for consideration under the claim procedure. The main reasons for the failure to resolve disputes through mediation were the parties' failure to appear for the proceedings, as well as the inability to reach an agreement on the subject of the dispute. This year, 8 court employees are acting as mediators. For some time now, a "reconciliation bench" has also been intended to encourage disputing parties to make peace. It is installed in the court's lobby, directly opposite the entrance to the administrative building. The original metal base supports a seat shaped like two inclined planes converging in the middle, so that even if two people sit at opposite ends, they will inevitably slide towards the center of the bench and find themselves pressed shoulder to shoulder. "The reconciliation bench is a kind of symbol designed to encourage participants in an economic dispute to conclude a settlement agreement, which is the most optimal way to resolve emerging disagreements," noted Olga Kibisova. -0-