Newsletter No. 355

No. 355, 4.4.2010 第三五五期　二零一零年四月四日　No. 355　4 April 2010 本刊由香港中文大學資訊處出版，每月出版兩期。截稿日期及稿例載於 www.cuhk.edu.hk/iso/newslter/ 。 The CUHK Newsletter is published by the Information Services Office, CUHK, on a fortnightly basis. Submission guidelines and deadlines can be found at www.cuhk.edu.hk/iso/newslter/. 在 普通法的法庭上，往往沒有贏家，與訟各方總是 認為己方公義未申，更遑論時間和金錢的損失。 1970年代，美國開始興起以較省時間和財力的方法來排難 解紛。時至今日，諸如調解一類的替代性爭議解決方案， 已經植根於大部分西方社會和中國的司法制度。 調解在香港的應用始於1980年 代，但多局限於建築和婚姻訴 訟。從近期的民事程序改革，足 見香港司法機構決意促進調解於 其他糾紛的應用。為回應社會需 求，中大法律學院在2009年12月 成立調解研究所，就調解提供相 關的學術和專業培訓，以及書籍 和多媒體參考資料。法律學院院 長麥高偉教授說：「隨着《實務指 示31—調解》生效，調解研究所乘時成立，正反映了調解 在香港的發展和施行。根據該實務指示，律師應告知其當 事人調解的應用和相關程序。現在或未來的法律學生，日 後將會是香港的律師，他們也須在實質及程序上了解調解 的好處。研究所將主力藉各項文獻資料及教學，為法律學 生及專業人士闡釋調解的要義和細節。」 研究所由法律學院助理教授Prof. Sarah E. Hilmer領導， 還有多位法律學者和資深調解員助陣。Professor Hilmer 在香港教學和從事調解工作已經四年，曾著書論述中國與 香港特區的調解（ Mediation in the People's Republic of China and Hong Kong（SAR） ）。在她眼中，調解是一個 系統井然的談判過程，自願參與的各方，在一名中立且獨 立的調解員協助下，識別爭議所在，分析其屬性，尋求和制 訂可行的解決方案，再經談判磋商，達成協議。 (續下頁 To be continued ) I n the common law court, there is often no winner and the parties to litigation are often left with the sense that justice on their part has not been served, not to mention the time and the costs incurred. In the 1970s, voices advocating a less time-consuming and less costly way of resolving disputes began to be heard in the US. Today, Professor Hilmer解釋，調解共分七個步驟，包括調解員 陳述、參與各方陳述及調解員總結、識別爭議及訂立議 程、分析和釐清爭議會議、調解員和參與各方的私下會議、 談判及磋商會議和達成協議。「與具有對抗本質的訴訟程 序相比，調解更見靈活，較少官式規限。它賦予參與各方 自決及支配最終解決方案條款的權利。」在這過程中，參 與者往往更能理解對方的立場，從而改善雙方不愉快的 關係。Professor Hilmer認為中國人對調解並不陌生，因 為在做生意或討價還價時，器重的也是互信。她打趣說： 「中國人，尤其是商界，着重在相互關係中建立信任這一 特點，正與調解過程中建立共識的本質一脈相承。似乎在 調解未被界定為一種藝術，未曾被賦予明確的程序之前， 中國人早已靠此法來排難解紛。」 研究所已將調解學引入法學士、法學碩士、法律博士 及法學專業證書等課程。Professor Hilmer以角色扮演 和錄像素材，訓練學生的敏銳觸角，讓他們更易洞察參與 調解各方源於不同文化背景的價值觀，以及可能導致的 矛盾。她發現學生對這另類的「律師工作」甚感興趣，更 認為學習經驗能有助他們覺察到不同處境的當事人潛藏 的價值觀和動機，而他們也因此得到訓練，學曉不只着眼 於法律權利和事實，也應顧及當事人的權益、情緒和心理 需要。 司法機構既已公布新的實務指引，香港律師職責所在， 必須建議當事人在訴諸法律行動之前，先考慮以調解 方式來化解紛爭。Professor Hilmer預期調解的應用將愈 加普遍，而研究所兼負培訓法學生和執業律師之責，將 對調解發展大有貢獻。她總結說：「調解是建立溝通的橋 樑，相對於傳統訴訟的非贏即輸，調解帶來的往往是雙贏 局面。」 alternative dispute resolution, of which mediation is one kind, has taken root in most jurisdictions in the Western world and in China. In Hong Kong, mediation has been practised since the 1980s but confined mostly to construction and matrimonial cases. Recent reforms in the civil procedure reflect the judiciary’s determination to promote mediation in other sectors as well. In December 2009, the Faculty of Law of CUHK established the Mediation Institute to provide academic and professional training in mediation as well as access to resources in the form of books and multimedia materials. Prof. Mike McConville, dean of the Faculty of Law, said, ‘The Mediation Institute reflects the development and practice of mediation in Hong Kong, considering the recent enforcement of Practice Direction 31 on mediation. Under that Practice Direction, lawyers are obliged to inform their clients about mediation and its process. Current and prospective law students are Hong Kong’s future lawyers; they should understand the benefits of a mediation process in substance and procedure. The Mediation Institute focuses on delivering that substance and procedure by means of various mediation resources and mediation teaching, not only for students but also for professionals.’ The institute is staffed by a number of legal scholars and experienced mediators led by Prof. Sarah E. Hilmer, assistant professor of law at CUHK. Professor Hilmer has been teaching and practising mediation in Hong Kong for four years and is the author of Mediation in the People’s Republic of China and Hong Kong (SAR) . According to Professor Hilmer, mediation is a structured negotiation process in which the participants voluntarily, with the support of a neutral and independent mediator, identify and classify issues in dispute, create and develop options, negotiate those options and reach an agreement. 調解的藝術 The Art of Mediation: Building Bridges, not Burning Them 彼築橋也， 非焚橋也─