Mediation program - Practice Direction 7 of 2016

Practice Direction 6 of 2007 created a mediation pilot program for certain defended civil proceedings at the Magistrates’ Court of Victoria (the Court) at Broadmeadows. Since then the programme has expanded to a number of other venues of the Court. Over the last year, it has become clear that certain types of disputes are less suited to the mediation process: claims for damage to property arising out of motor vehicle accidents where the amount sought is less than $10,000; and claims for the recovery of hire car costs only, irrespective of the amount sought.  The purpose of this Practice Direction is to exclude these claims from the programme.