The Conference on Alternative Dispute Resolution was hosted for the fourth time by the National Office for the Judiciary, the Central Bank of Hungary and the Financial Arbitration Board. The two-day, international event this year addressed family businesses and the subject of alternative dispute resolution.

Since 2012, by the first half of 2019, 5,300 court mediation proceedings have been conducted at Hungarian courts, more than half of which resulted in a settlement, the vice president of the National Office for the Judiciary emphasized in his greeting. Dr. Sándor Vajas added that in recent years the legislator has also recognized the importance of alternative dispute resolution, so since 2018 there has been the possibility of mediation in administrative court cases as well. 

Court mediation is currently available at 70 courts, with more than 180 judges and court secretaries working in the proceedings, and an additional 30 judges and court secretaries obtained the necessary qualifications in the administrative area – stressed Sándor Vajas. Training is extremely important for successful mediation, which is why the NOJ has announced the Werbőczy Universitas Scholarship, which supports the specialized post-gradual training of 100 judges. Twenty of this year's applicants are attending an alternative dispute resolution mediation lawyer training in Győr.

Dr. Erika Kovács, president of the Financial Arbitration Board, in her welcome speech emphasized that alternative dispute resolution is gaining ground, creating an opportunity for family businesses to avoid litigation. The Financial Arbitration Board has helped 30,000 clients since 2011, and 40 percent of the cases resulted in a settlement between the parties.

Dr. Csaba Szomolai, managing director of the Central Bank of Hungary, dr. Attila Beneda, deputy state secretary for family policy at the Ministry of Human Resources and dr. László Rudas, president of the National Association of Family Enterprises also gave speeches.

The IV. Conference on Alternative Dispute Resolution deals with the legal maze of small and medium-sized enterprises, introduces the domestic system of mediation, details the conflict situations in family businesses, and also introduces international dispute resolution practice with the help of Croatian, Ukrainian and Georgian speakers.