SINGAPORE - The Law Society of Singapore officially launched its mediation scheme on Friday (March 10), following its soft launch last October.

Chief Justice Sundaresh Menon presented certificates of appointment to 21 senior mediators under the Law Society Mediation Scheme. There are also 53 associate mediators under the scheme.

Among them are mediators from the Singapore Mediation Centre, which was set up in 1997.

Chief Justice Menon said in his keynote address that mediation is a "crucial component" of the dispute resolution landscape in Singapore.

"We need to overlay a more user-centric approach on top of the institutional values that define the ideals of our legal system," he said.

He outlined five ideals in the legal process: Affordability, efficiency, accessibility, flexibility and effectiveness.

President of The Law Society of Singapore Gregory Vijayendran said the scheme is an avenue to spread the message of alternative dispute resolution and it has taken off smoothly.

"I strongly believe the lawyer of tomorrow needs to have several skill sets in dispute resolution and an important skill is mediation," he said.