David Bilinsky
Practice Management Consultant / Lawyer The Law Society of British Columbia
challenges
Effectively implementing online dispute resolutions
Online Dispute Resolution is viewed as one of the newest solutions proposed to bring about real access to justice. Certainly ODR represents one of the greatest innovations in terms of how the internet and communications technologies can be applied to increase access to justice.
There are proposals underway in Europe, Canada, Australia and other jurisdictions that are attempting to implement ODR in one fashion or another.
However, bringing about this change is not just about technology. It is not just about justice and law. At its heart, this is a change management issue. It is a people problem. And it calls for a multidisciplinary approach towards change and implementation.
We need to sit down and see the walls...visible and invisible...real and illusory...and the barriers to change...bureaucratic, systemic and otherwise. We need to consider best practices towards implementation of ODR that take into account all the aspects of change management and set forth a roadmap to bring about real change.
We are challenging the justice system. We are challenging people's assumptions on how disputes must be settled. We are challenging how we can apply technology to solve real human problems. We are challenging existing professions such as lawyers, judges and mediators. Most of all we are challenging ourselves to see the world differently...uniquely...and bring about not just incremental change but deep and meaningful change that can improve people's lives and livelihoods.
The world is moving quickly...can we bring along the justice system with it?
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