Secretary for Justice Paul Lam today said resolving disputes by mediation, instead of litigation, arbitration or other means, will save time and cost.

The Department of Justice issued a Policy Statement on the Incorporation of Mediation Clauses in Government Contracts on Wednesday.

The policy requires all government departments to incorporate mediation clauses in future government contracts, so as to further promote the use of mediation to resolve such disputes first before resorting to arbitration or litigation.

Speaking at a media session on the final day of the Hong Kong Legal Week 2024, Mr Lam said the fact is that in case any dispute arises, the Government will try to resolve disputes by mediation first in the event any dispute arises.

“Only if mediation fails may we resort to litigation, arbitration or other means of dispute resolution.

“I am very confident that if people are willing to use more mediation to resolve disputes, that will certainly save time and cost.”

Mr Lam added that the importance of the policy is to demonstrate that the Government is willing to take the lead to cultivate the culture of using mediation in society as a whole, so that whenever people encounter disputes, the first thing that they would consider is not to go to court, but rather try to settle disputes amicably, given that doing so is more economical, more time-saving, and produces a more harmonious result.