Alternative Dispute Resolution
Judicial Insights From Ron Veale On How Mediation Can Be Used in The Justice System
Listen Now
In This Episode
What emotion would you feel if someone told you you had to be in court tomorrow to solve a dispute? For most of us outside the legal profession, having to be a part of the justice system can be daunting. But today’s guest, Ron Veale, joins us to share how there’s another way, Alternative Dispute Resolution.
You may recognize the last name of our guest, who, beyond his accomplishments in politics, the law and being Chief Justice on the Yukon Supreme Court until his recent retirement, also raised our host, Dave Veale. That’s right, ladies and gentlemen, Dave’s Dad, is on the podcast! Ron shares some great judicial insights with us and a few family tales. Ron also discusses with Emily, who experienced the personal injury side of the law first hand, areas that could be improved and other methods available.
In This Episode
First 10 Minutes
Today, we learn that we have a very special guest, Ron Veale, Dave’s father. Ron introduces himself and his background. Dave asks about his dad’s initial reaction to lawyers having a coach. Ron explains the work he is doing now after retiring in Alternative Dispute Resolution/Mediation related to coaching.
10 Minutes – 20 Minutes
Ron explains his first experience with mediation and how he initially thought it would take over the justice process. He admits that there are times that mediation can’t or won’t be successful. Dave talks about his childhood growing up with lawyers and how he thinks many people have negative reactions to the legal process. The group talks about Emily’s experience in the court system with litigation of her car accidents and the stress that court cases can bring. Finally, the group discusses how the court process can be a long process that impacts people’s ability to move on with their lives.
20 Minutes – 30 Minutes
The group talks about how adversarial law can be, and Ron shares how he made the switch toward a more collaborative process. Dave asks Ron about his work with indigenous communities. Ron shares how they have been doing Healing Circles in the Yukon for years to deal with issues that affect the communities. The group discusses the use of Zoom for mediation.
Ron Veale
Lawyer, Chief Justice of Yukon Supreme Court
Ron Veale is a Canadian jurist and former politician. Ron served as the Chief Justice of the Yukon Supreme Court until his retirement in 2020. He and his wife, Kip, have two sons and five grandchildren. Over the course of his career as a lawyer and a judge, he has worked in communities across the Yukon, NWT and Nunavut and has a passion for the North, its cultures and its people. He was awarded the Order of Yukon in 2020.