SNEAK PEEK – VCAT ODR PILOT CASE STUDY

A sneak peek of the Victorian Civil & Administrative Tribunal’s (VCAT) case study of their journey towards implementation of ODR in practice.

The VCAT ODR Pilot case study was a concurrent session at the symposium. Since we expected demand to be high, an additional session was held on Wednesday afternoon.  

WELCOME HIGH TEA

Welcome to international speakers and delegates

Introducing newly appointed Sir Zelman Cowen Centre Adjunct Professors & Fellows

Churchill Fellowship Report on ODR by Katarina Palmgren, Court Legal Adviser, Magistrates’ Court of Victoria launch

SYMPOSIUM OPENING & PUBLIC LECTURE

Welcome to Country  Gheran Steel, Boonwurrung Traditional Owner

Formal opening of the symposium  Justice Michelle Quigley, President, Victorian Civil and Administrative Tribunal

Compulsory ODR: The Canadian Experience

The Civil Resolution Tribunal is Canada’s first online tribunal.

The Tribunal currently deals with small claims disputes under $5,000, strata property (condominium) disputes, and types of motor vehicle accident claims.

The Civil Resolution Tribunal is a transformational access to justice initiative which operates 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.

Moderator  Professor David Weisbrot AM, former President, Australian Law Reform Commission

Speaker  Shannon Salter, Chair, Civil Resolution Tribunal, British Columbia, Canada

Commentator  Fiona McLeay, Victorian Legal Services Board CEO & Commissioner

REFRESHMENTS & NETWORKING

SYMPOSIUM BREAKFAST

Triage & complaint handling

What are the strengths and limitations of ODR for triage and complaint handling?

Chair  Cynthia Gebert, Energy and Water Ombudsman (Victoria)

Panel 

Professor Pablo Cortés, Professor of Civil Justice, Leicester Law School

Professor Fernando Esteban de la Rosa, Professor of Private International Law, University of Granada

Ruth Talalla, Ombudsman, Banking & Finance, Australian Financial Complaints Authority

DELEGATES ARRIVE – REGISTRATION

WELCOME & OPENING ADDRESS

MC  Professor David Weisbrot AM, former President, Australian Law Reform Commission

PLENARY

Around the world in 80 minutes: Expert international panel

What is the state of play of ODR across the world? What lessons can Australia draw from the international experience?

Chair  Professor David Weisbrot AM, former President, Australian Law Reform Commission

Panel 

Shannon Salter, Chair, Civil Resolution Tribunal, British Columbia

Colin Rule, Former Head of ODR at eBay and PayPal & Vice President of ODR, Tyler Technologies, US

Professor Pablo Cortés, Professor of Civil Justice, Leicester Law School, UK

Professor Xuhui (Michael) Fang, Law Professor at Nanchang University, China

Michael Heron QC, Founder, CODR Limited and former Solicitor-General of New Zealand

Katarina Palmgren, Churchill Fellow & Court Legal Adviser, Magistrates’ Court of Victoria, Australia

MORNING TEA

CONCURRENT SESSION 1A

ODR and the Online Courts continuum

ODR is part of a wider spectrum of dispute resolution, including mediation, arbitration and conciliation. When does ODR work? ODR vs Online Courts.

Chair  Colin Rule, Former Head of ODR at eBay and PayPal, Vice President of ODR, Tyler Technologies, USA

Panel

Professor Sue Prince, Associate Professor in Law, University of Exeter & Member, UK Civil Justice Council Advisory Group on ODR

Professor Fernando Esteban de la Rosa, Professor of Private International Law, University of Granada

Professor John Zeleznikow, Professor of Information Systems, Victoria University

CONCURRENT SESSION 1B

VCAT ODR Pilot – a case study

How do you implement an ODR project? The Victorian Civil & Administrative Tribunal (VCAT) presented a case study of their journey towards implementation of ODR in practice.

This case study highlighted:

• How the skills of a cross-functional, multi-disciplinary team were leveraged to create high-impact outcomes.
• The value of transparent and collaborative stakeholder engagement (both internal and external) in defining the customer experience and then co-designing experiments to test the pilot hypothesis that if VCAT introduces online dispute resolution, then the Victorian community will experience improved access to justice.
• How mindset is everything – ‘learn quickly, learn often’.
• How public-sector organisations can benefit from leveraging the lessons learned from this pilot to achieve long-term, sustainable outcomes for its project and change initiative.

Watch the VCAT ODR Pilot overview video.

Co-chairs

Ian B Lulham, Deputy President and Director, Alternative Dispute Resolution

Carolyn McSporran, Principal Registrar, VCAT

Presenters

VCAT ODR Pilot Team

CONCURRENT SESSION 1C

ODR playground (repeated after lunch)

Speed date ODR providers (with a little help from “critical friends”).

Moderator Professor David Weisbrot AM, former President, Australian Law Reform Commission

Providers
Immediation
Asset Divider
MODRON
Portable
Smartsettle
Tyler Technologies

LUNCH

CONCURRENT SESSION 2A

The failures we had to have (and are still having…)

A warts and all examination of ODR. What works, what doesn’t?

Chair  Katie Miller, Advocate and commentator on technology and the law & Deputy Commissioner, Independent Broad-based Anti-corruption Commission

Panel 

Dr Ernest Thiessen, President of iCan Systems Inc

Graham Ross, Managing Director, ODR Training Ltd

Michael Vanderheide, Chief Executive, Cenitex

Paul O’Connor, Senior Manager, Performance Audit, Victorian Auditor-General’s Office

CONCURRENT SESSION 2B

Accessibility and vulnerability workshop

How can we adopt user-centred design principles to ensure reliability, useability and acceptability? Can ODR be made open for all?

Chair 

Professor Kathy Laster, Director, Sir Zelman Cowen Centre

Speakers

Professor Amy Schmitz, Elwood L. Thomas Missouri Endowed Professor of Law, University
of Missouri

Annabelle Butler, Executive Manager, Accessibility at Suncorp Group

Fiona Smith AM, former Chairperson of the Victorian Equal Opportunity and Human Rights Commission

CONCURRENT SESSION 2C

ODR playground (repeat)

Speed date ODR providers (with a little help from “critical friends”).

Moderator Professor David Weisbrot AM, former President, Australian Law Reform Commission

Providers
Asset Divider
Immediation
MODRON
Portable
Smartsettle
Tyler Technologies

AFTERNOON TEA

PLENARY

Managing change: It’s not you, it’s me

How does a conservative profession such as law deal with major disruption? How do change agents and leaders help people survive and thrive?

Co-chairs 

Professor David Weisbrot AM, former President, Australian Law Reform Commission

Professor Kathy Laster, Director, Sir Zelman Cowen Centre

Panel

Katie Miller, Advocate and commentator on technology and the law & Deputy Commissioner,
Independent Broad-based Anti-corruption Commission

Madeline Oldfield, Independent Management Consultant & Director, Resolving Disputes Digitally, VCAT

Michael Heron QC, former Solicitor-General of New Zealand, Founder, CODR Limited

CLOSING