Consolidated practice directions

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Introduction 
1. 
Mediation is an integral part of the case management process and, in 
general, no case will be listed for trial without the mediation process 
having first been exhausted. 
Mediation Registrars 
2. 
The Chief Justice approves mediators to conduct mediations in civil 
proceedings in the Supreme Court pursuant to pt IV of the 
Supreme Court 
Act 1935 
(WA) (SCA) and O 4A r 1 of the 
Rules of the Supreme Court 1971 
(WA). The list of approved mediators is kept by the Chief Justice, and 
includes all registrars of the Court and a number of judges. There are no 
private mediators currently approved by the Chief Justice. The current 
practice is that mediations of cases in the Supreme Court using a private 
mediator are conducted outside the regime set out in SCA pt VI. 
3. 
Most mediations are conducted by the Court's mediation registrars. The 
Court may assign two mediation registrars to mediate a case where 
appropriate. This may be because there are a large number of parties, a 
number of cases are to be mediated together, or the case is particularly 
complex. 
4. 
The Court may direct that a mediation be conducted by a judge of the 
Court if warranted by the particular aspects of the case. 
5. 
The Court may also direct that a mediation conference be conducted by a 
private mediator. However pursuant to O 4A r 2(5) of the Rules, it 
cannot, without the consent of the parties, direct that a conference take 
place where a party would become liable to remunerate a mediator. The 
proposed mediator would need to be approved by the Chief Justice. 

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4. General Division - Civil 
PD 4.2.1
 
Supreme Court of Western Australia 
Consolidated Practice Direction