The International Mediation Institute (IMI) is pleased to share an invitation to a special lecture hosted by the UCL Centre for Dispute Resolution in collaboration with the Civil Mediation Council (CMC), featuring IMI Certified mediator Bill Marsh.
📅Date: Wednesday, 11 March 2026
🕕 Time: 18:00 – 19:30 GMT
💻 Format: In-person with live stream available
📝 Register: Here.
About the Event
Mediation is now central to modern civil justice systems. The practical case for mediation is well established. But deeper and more challenging questions remain: can mediation deliver justice? Should it aspire to? And if so, what does justice mean in complex, emotionally charged disputes?
In this timely lecture, Bill Marsh will draw on his experience mediating large-scale and highly sensitive disputes, including those arising from the Grenfell Tower tragedy and post-conflict Bosnia. Through these reflections, he will pose fundamental questions about whether mediators are “mere” pragmatists or whether they are, in fact, engaged in the pursuit of justice.
This lecture follows Bill Marsh’s earlier presentation on the topic at the CMC Conference in 2025 and forms part of an ongoing collaboration between UCL and CMC to advance critical thinking in mediation practice.
About the Speaker
Bill Marsh is one of the UK’s most experienced mediators and was among the first practitioners to become IMI Certified. With over 35 years of experience, he mediates commercial, civil, environmental, religious, and human rights disputes both in the UK and internationally. In addition to his mediation practice, he trains and mentors mediators and advises governments on mediation policy and implementation.
In his own words, he has spent decades “hanging around the middle of other people’s fights to see who wants to talk.” His work in large-group, high-emotion conflicts makes him uniquely positioned to address the justice question at the heart of this lecture.
Why This Matters
As mediation expands into areas involving collective harm, public accountability, and human rights, questions of legitimacy and justice become increasingly central. Practitioners, policymakers, and users alike are grappling with how mediation fits within broader justice systems, particularly in cases involving trauma, power imbalance, and societal impact.
This lecture offers the IMI community an opportunity to engage with these complex questions and reflect on mediation’s evolving role in delivering not only resolution, but potentially justice.
Event Details and Schedule
📍 Location: Bentham House, UCL Faculty of Laws Endsleigh Gardens, London WC1H 0EG
Programme
- 17:30 – Registration
- 18:00 – Lecture begins
- 19:30 – Drinks reception and networking
Places for in-person attendance are limited, so early registration is recommended. For those unable to attend in London, unlimited places are available via livestream through the registration link.
We warmly encourage members of the global IMI community to join this important conversation!
