Information in English
Best Practices in ADR: Pilot Project in Bavaria for Administrative Courts
Translations
Act to Promote Mediation and other Extra-Judicial Conflict Resolution Processes of 21 July 2012
s. Federal Ministry of Justice
§§ 278, 278a ZPO
Section 278
Amicable resolution of the dispute; conciliation hearing; settlement
(1) In all circumstances of the proceedings, the court is to act in the interests of arriving at an amicable resolution of the legal dispute or of the individual points at issue.
(2) For the purposes of arriving at an amicable resolution of the legal dispute, the hearing shall be preceded by a conciliation hearing unless efforts to come to an agreement have already been made before an alternative dispute-resolution entity, or unless the conciliation hearing obviously does not hold out any prospects of success. In the conciliation hearing, the court is to discuss with the parties the circumstances and facts as well as the status of the dispute thus far, assessing all circumstances without any restrictions and asking questions wherever required. The parties appearing are to be heard in person on these aspects.
(3) The parties shall be ordered to appear in person at the conciliation hearing as well as at any other conciliation efforts. Section 141 (1), second sentence, subsections (2) and (3) shall apply mutatis mutandis.
(4) Should neither of the parties appear at the conciliation hearing, the proceedings shall be ordered stayed.
(5) The court may refer the parties for the conciliation hearing, as well as for further attempts at resolving the dispute, to a judge delegated for this purpose, who is not authorised to take a decision (Güterichter, conciliation judge). The conciliation judge may avail himself of all methods of conflict resolution, including mediation.
(6) A settlement may also be made before the court by the parties to the dispute by submitting to the court a suggestion, in writing, on how to settle the matter, or by their accepting, in a corresponding brief sent to the court, the suggested settlement made by the court in writing. The court shall establish, by issuing a corresponding order, that the settlement concluded in accordance with the first sentence has been reached, recording the content of same in the order. Section 164 shall apply mutatis mutandis.
Section 278a
Mediation, alternative conflict resolution
(1) The court may suggest that the parties pursue mediation or other alternative conflict resolution procedures.
(2) Should the parties to the dispute decide to pursue mediation or other alternative conflict resolution procedures, the court shall order the proceedings stayed.