PRINCIPLES OF MEDIATION AS AN OBJECT OF LEGAL AND PROFESSIONAL ETHICAL REGULATION
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.32782/galician_studies/law-2026-13-6Keywords:
mediation, principles of mediation, regulatory framework, professional and ethical regulation, mediator’s code of professional ethics, confidentiality, voluntarinessAbstract
This article presents a comprehensive study of the principles of mediation as a subject of legal and professional-ethical regulation. It clarifies how these principles are reflected in the Law of Ukraine “On Mediation” and how they are elaborated upon in codes of professional ethics for mediators. It has been established that the regulation of mediation principles at the level of this law is of a framework nature, as it formulates their list and general characteristics but does not provide a thorough elaboration of their content, clear criteria for compliance, or institutionally supported mechanisms for practical implementation. It is argued that mediators’ codes of professional ethics play an independent role in specifying the principles of mediation, giving them the form of behavioral standards and procedural guidelines for the professional activity of a mediator. It has been noted that the principles of mediation should not be considered in isolation, but rather in their interconnection and unity, as this is what forms the coherent foundation of the mediation process. Their actual implementation is largely determined by the mediator’s professional actions, in particular their ability to promote procedural balance between the parties, ensure conditions for their genuine self-determination, and foster trust in the mediation process itself. At the same time, the current state of professional and ethical regulation of mediation principles in Ukraine is characterized by fragmentation, which is explained by the lack of a coordinated approach to their elaboration and the inconsistency of application practice s at the level of individual institutions. Directions for improving the regulatory and professional-ethical regulation of mediation principles have been identified, particularly regarding the management of conflicts of interest, ensuring the transparency of procedures, improving the quality of mediation services, and harmonizing national standards with European approaches.
References
Verkhovna Rada Ukrainy. (2021, November 16). Zakon Ukrainy “Pro mediatsiiu” [Law of Ukraine “On Mediation”], № 1875-IX. https://zakon.rada.gov.ua/laws/show/1875-20#Text [in Ukrainian].
Malets, M. (2022). Principles of mediation as an alternative method to ensure human and citizen’s rights. Visnyk Natsionalnoho universytetu “Lvivska politekhnika”. Seriia: Yurydychni nauky, 9 (3(35)), 171–177. https://doi.org/10.23939/law2022.35.171.
Shevchuk, L.V. (2023). Pryntsypy mediatsii yak zaporuka realizatsii dosudovoho vrehuliuvannia v Ukraini [Principles of mediation as a guarantee of the implementation of pre-trial settlement in Ukraine]. Naukovoinformatsiinyi visnyk Ivano-Frankivskoho universytetu prava imeni Korolia Danyla Halytskoho, 16 (28), 95–99 [in Ukrainian].
Podkovenko, T.O. (2024). Zmist ta znachennia pryntsypu konfidentsiinosti v mediatsii [Content and significance of the principle of confidentiality in mediation]. Halytski studii: Yurydychni nauky, 5, 5–11. https://doi.org/10.32782/galician_studies/law-2024-5-1 [in Ukrainian].
Frantsuz, A.Y., & Maryna, Yu.Yu. (2023). Pryntsypy mediatsii v hromadianskomu suspilstvi ta osoblyvosti yikh zastosuvannia v osvitnomu seredovyshchi Ukrainy [Principles of mediation in civil society and peculiarities of their application in the educational environment of Ukraine]. Legal Bulletin, 4 (10), 109–119. https://doi.org/10.31732/2708-339X-2023-10-109-120 [in Ukrainian].
Stetsenko, O.A. (2012). Mediatsiia: yii poniattia, pryntsypy ta prydatnist dlia publichnykh sporiv [Mediation: its concept, principles and suitability for public disputes]. Naukovi zapysky Instytutu zakonodavstva Verkhovnoi Rady Ukrainy, 2, 159–162 [in Ukrainian].
Chekhovska, I.V., & Dovha, M.O. (2023). Mediatsiia yak alternatyvnyi sposib vyrishennia simeinykh sporiv [Mediation as an alternative way of resolving family disputes]. Irpinskyi yurydychnyi chasopys, 3 (12), 123–138. https://doi.org/10.33244/2617-4154-3(12)-2023-123-138 [in Ukrainian].
Yaremko, O. (2022). Pryntsyp dobrovilnosti simeinoi mediatsii pry vyrishenni pytannia pro rozirvannia shliubu [The principle of voluntariness in family mediation in resolving the issue of divorce]. / In O.A. Siedashova & O.M. Karpova (Eds.), Mediatsiia.Ua: novi pidkhody ta instrumenty menedzhmentu konfliktiv u suchasnykh umovakh (pp. 150–163). Universytet ekonomiky ta prava “KROK” [in Ukrainian].
Parneta, O., & Fedyk, S. (2021). Mediatsiia yak sposib vyrishennia simeinykh sporiv [Mediation as a method of resolving family disputes]. Aktualni problemy pravoznavstva, 1(25), 100–106 [in Ukrainian].
Melenko, O., Stratii, O., & Hryndei, L. (2021). Administratyvna mediatsiia u svitli instytutsiinykh peretvoren v Ukraini [Administrative mediation in the light of institutional transformations in Ukraine]. Naukovyi visnyk Uzhhorodskoho natsionalnoho universytetu. Seriia: Pravo, 68, 180–185 [in Ukrainian].
Naukovo-praktychnyi komentar do Zakonu Ukrainy “Pro mediatsiiu” [Scientific and practical commentary on the Law of Ukraine “On Mediation”]. (2024). Vydavnytstvo RATsIO [in Ukrainian].
HO “Natsionalna asotsiatsiia mediatoriv Ukrainy.” (n.d.). Kodeks profesiinoi etyky mediatora [Code of professional ethics of the mediator]. Retrieved from: https://namu.com.ua/kodeks-etyky [in Ukrainian].
Mizhnarodnyi komertsiinyi arbitrazhnyi sud pry Torhovo-promyslovii palati Ukrainy. (2023). Kodeks profesiinoi etyky mediatora [Code of professional ethics of the mediator]. Retrieved from: https://icac.org.ua/wp-content/uploads/Kodeks-etyky-MKAS_dlya-sajtu.pdf [in Ukrainian].
HO “Asotsiatsiia simeinykh mediatoriv Ukrainy.” (n.d.). Kodeks profesiinoi etyky [Code of professional ethics].
Retrieved from: https://www.afmu.org.ua/_files/ugd/4a26bd_5c817c71b2074c94a39c403de33eecf7.pdf [in Ukrainian].
Natsionalna mediatorska merezha HO “La Strada-Ukraina.” (2024). Etychnyi kodeks mediatoriv i mediatorok [Code of ethics for male and female mediators]. Retrieved from: https://la-strada.org.ua/wp-content/uploads/2024/09/etychnyj-kodeks-mediatoriv-i-mediatorok natsionalnoyi-mediatorskoyi-merezhi.pdf [in Ukrainian].
Derzhavna orhanizatsiia “Ukrainskyi natsionalnyi ofis intelektualnoi vlasnosti ta innovatsii.” (n.d.). Kodeks profesiinoi etyky [Code of professional ethics]. Retrieved from: https://ukrpatent.org/atachs/Kodeks-etyky.pdf [in Ukrainian].
Directive 2008/52/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council of 21 May 2008 on certain aspects of mediation in civil and commercial matters. (2008). Official Journal of the European Union, L 136, 3–8. Retrieved from: https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/?qid=1775060469953&uri=CELEX%3A32008L0052&utm_source=chatgpt.com.
European Code of Conduct for Mediators. (2004). Retrieved from: https://ec.europa.eu/civiljustice/adr/adr_ec_code_conduct_en.pdf.
European Code of Conduct for Mediation Service Providers. (2018). Retrieved from: https://www.adrcenter.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/11/European-Code-of-Conduct-for-Mediation-Service-Providers.pdf.
