A directive making mediation of all civil trials mandatory in an attempt to reduce court roll backlogs, particularly Road Accident Fund RAF litigation, has been blamed for worsening delays, escalating legal costs and undermining access to justice for road crash victims.
Advocate Justin Erasmus, chair of the Personal Injury Plaintiff Lawyers Association Pipla, which has lodged a high court application to set aside the directive, said on Monday that hardly any mediation is happening.
The practice directive issued by then Gauteng Judge President Mlambo in April 2025 made mediation of civil cases compulsory in the Gauteng Division before they are enrolled on the court rolls.
