Oprah Approves of Mediation... It Must Be Good

Alright. Fine. I have watched The Oprah Winfrey Show once or twice (or a thousand times) in my lifetime. At least I admit it.

But, it was with some surprise that I found a recommendation in my e-mail this morning to watch tomorrow's show. The episode will focus on Beyond Conviction, a documentary about a restorative justice program in Pennsylvania where victims of violent crimes are able to meet face-to-face with their perpetrators. In the film, three victims' lives are chronicled as they search for healing and resolution. The film will premiere on December 3 on MSNBC.

From what I can gather, the Oprah account of the movie, and this use of mediation, will be positive. I thought that this was interesting mainly because of negative feelings circulating in the U.S. about arbitration and mediation of late. A recent LA Times accountof the arbitration scene, for instance, did not paint the industry in a very favorable light, claiming that "private judges" are creating their own brand of elitist justice and denying citizens their constitutional rights. Concerns of the secret, private nature of dispute resolution seem more and more prevalent and I feel that I have read more articles about the vrtues of traditional litgation lately than seems, well, nomal.

At least Oprah recognizes that mediation can be a good thing (even if it is in seemingly limited circumstances). Or perhaps I should reserve comment until after I've seen the show...