As the founder and CEO of the Core Solutions Group, I spend a great deal of time thinking and speaking about mediation, negotiation, conflict management, leadership and communication. I am told I should write some of these thoughts down… so, here goes…
I was interested to read Andrew Stevenson’s article in these pages (Monday 9 October) in which he raised concerns about proposed changes to court rules and, in particular, the apparent erosion of “the principle that …
“Forgiveness… call me naive… it has worked for me”. These words of a man who, as a schoolboy in Northern Ireland, was blinded by a bullet fired by a British soldier are captured in the …
“It’s all about trust, isn’t it?” observed my assistant mediator in a recent mediation where property investors resolved a long-running dispute with their professional advisers, having incurred considerable legal costs. It was good to see …
Today, a new leader should be announced for the SNP. That person will then be nominated for appointment as First Minister in the Scottish Parliament. Those of us in the field of conflict resolution or, perhaps …
The breakthrough in the UK’s relations with the EU over Northern Ireland demonstrates yet again that there is no substitute for conducting negotiations with respect and dignity, building relationships with counterparts, being honest and frank …
“O, wad some Power the giftie gie us
To see oursels as others see us!”
I am writing this on Burns Night and reflecting on a recent conversation with an acquaintance. I left our meeting feeling deeply …
Gillian Bowditch’s description in The Sunday Times this week of the attack on a schoolgirl at Waid Academy in Anstruther, Fife, brought back memories from 50 years ago. In 1973, I became a pupil at …
Recently I attended events which got me thinking about the kind of society we are now living in – and the role of the legal profession in it. At the Scottish Mediation conference, Professor Gurchathen Sanghera, …
“Our problem is there always seems to be someone else to blame. The tram inquiry is about to reach £13m. The other ongoing inquiry into the Pandemic will also cost millions. ... Huge sums of …
Stewart McDonald MP (SNP Defence Spokesperson) describes the horrors experienced in Ukraine and articulates well the concerns felt there about any change in the West’s position, prompted by “extreme voices from the left and the …