Chambers member, Derek Minus, delivered an unusual paper this week to the Young Lawyers of the Law Society of New South Wales. Entitled “Mediating like a Martial Artist – fundamentals” – the paper draws on his extensive experience mediating high emotion conflicts where there have been threats of, or actual violence.

Although focussed on fundamental concepts like mediator processes and styles, the paper covers a wide canvas discussing warfare as a means of conflict resolution, the differing strategies adopted by eastern and western warriors and offering a radical concept of “confluence” for inciting an aggressive opponent to move towards resolution. Minus reveals that his transformative style of mediation is based on some 35 years experience as an instructor of the martial art of Aikido.

You can find a copy of the paper at this link.