The Roles and Challenges of Professional Family Mediators: The Case of Family Mediators under Child Justice Project Office, Children's Legal Protection Centers in Three Courts of Addis Ababa
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Date
2016-05
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Addis Ababa University
Abstract
With four mediators and seven legal professionals the study has made an effort to explore the
intents of the court to include professional family -mediators and the prospects of professional
family mediation to families and the court. The study has also explored the roles and challenges
of professional family mediators who were currently working in the child justice project
children's legal protection centers. For this effort a qualitative method with case study approach
as a specific method have been employed. Professional family mediators were participants of the
study and family bench judges, lawyers and mediation coordinator of the child justice project
children's legal protection centers has been-key informants ofthe study. In-depth interview, key
informant interviews, observation and document reviews were utilized to collect data. Thematic
analysis was used to-analysis the data that has been collected from field. The findings include the
following points. Article 36 of the Ethiopian constitution that devotes a full article on child right
has been the source for the court to include family mediators in the court in the area of family
issues (civil cases) to safeguard the best interest of the child. Mediation protects the
confidentiality of parties, promotes a win-win solution and helps them to build a stronger
relationship and etc. Mediators have the role of facilitating conversation between disputing
parties, negotiating, teaching, encouraging and refeFFal. Lack of cooperation from police officers,
limited source for. referral , the attitude of families towards-Illediation services, short
appointments that are given by judges were some of the challenges that were identified in the
research. Trainings to mediators in order to expand the services, more budget to the project
office in order to help families in a better way have been indicated in the research.
Key words: child justice project office, family mediators, courts, roles and challenges.
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Keywords
child justice project office, family mediators, courts, roles and challenges.