One year after the entry into force Law 1/2025, which establishes the use of alternative dispute resolution mechanisms (ADR) as a new procedural requirement, judges and business representatives from the Consolat de Mar met at Llotja de Mar of Barcelona to assess its implementation.
The Centre for Legal Studies and Specialised Training (CEJFE), in collaboration with the Consolat de Mar of the Barcelona Chamber of Commerce, organised a high-level meeting where leading figures from the judicial and business sectors met to discuss the current state of the justice system under the new legal framework in force since April 2025. During the meeting, significant expectations were raised regarding the impact of the prior use of appropriate dispute resolution methods in preventing the judicialisation of conflicts.
Both, judges and business representatives, unanimously agreed that the requirement to evidence an attempt at negotiation, mediation, or agreement with the assistance of a third party might become an additional bureaucratic step towards the pursue of justice.
The event featured leading judicial figures in the field of mediation, such as Mr. Pascual Ortuño, Ms. Raquel Alastruey, Mr. Jesús Gómez and Ms.Sara Pose. On the business side, prominent legal professionals attended, including Ms. Pilar Fernández, former Minister of Justice of the Government of Catalonia, Mr. Miguel Trias, consultant Mr. Genís Roca, and transport sector entrepreneur Mr. Jesús Lozano.
The First Consul of the Consolat de Mar of the Chamber, Ms. Emma Gumbert, closed the event by highlighting the strong spirit of cooperation that had been established, reaffirming the commitment of the Consolat de Mar to providing a genuine public justice service based on the use of appropriate mechanisms instead of resorting to the courts. A spirit of cooperation that all participants acknowledged could go far beyond the scope of the law itself. Among those attending the meeting was also the Secretary General of the Barcelona Chamber of Commerce, Mr. Xavier Coronas.
The event was promoted by the Government of Catalonia, represented at the meeting by Ms. Imma Barral, Mr. Marc Cerón and Ms. Elisabeth Saltor.
On November 19th, the president of the Barcelona Chamber of Commerce and the Consolat de Mar, Josep Santacreu, met with the Catalan Minister of Justice and Democratic Quality, Ramon Espadaler, to bring the mission and legacy of the Consolat de Mar closer to the new executive of the Catalan Government.
