By Charles Wagner (November 9, 2022, 10:34 AM EST) -- The vast majority of lawyers and mediators in the field appear to believe that mediation leads to more cases settling faster at a lower cost. Mandatory mediation was introduced in Ontario on a test basis on Jan. 4, 1999. In part, based on an independent 23-month evaluation of the pilot project, it became permanent. The results of that evaluation are set out in the Hann Report. It suggests that mandatory mediation results in 40 per cent of cases being completely settled earlier in the litigation process. This raises questions about the nature of the cases that are still going to trial....