In the Commercial Court of Ghent a 5th chamber has been created in each division, with the view to proposing an alternative dispute resolution method, such as a conciliation in front of and with the assistance of the judge or a referral to an external meditation.
The author points out that files can be directed to this chamber not only at the time of introduction of the court case but also at the time the procedural calendar is set after the respondent has filed the first written submission. Even after the pleadings and after an interlocutory judgment has been rendered, the 5th chamber of the Commercial Court can still refer the matter to an external mediation.
All cases in the field of construction, internal companies disputes and commercial agency can also be automatically referred to this chamber.
The author believes that is it not the task of a judge to act as a mediator because judges are trained to decide themselves about disputes and because they do not have enough time for a mediation. However, the creation of the 5th chamber could give a boost to external mediation knowing that 75% of the attempted mediations end successfully with a settlement.

Based on an actual mediation the article makes it clear that a mediator should remain in its own professional role and stay away from the legal aspects of the solution. The mediator should leave this to other professional experts.The case describes a seemingly simple mediation-referral from the Court, but concealing a multitude of interrelated business and private conflicts, all with legal and emotional aspects. A judgment by the Court on just one of the issues would never end the real conflicts between parties. A facilitating mediation approach brings an unexpectedly large number of these emotional and legal issues into the open, all solved in some twenty mediation sessions.