Keynote Address: The Moral Dimension of Employment Dispute Resolution

(Excerpt) Here I am first going to take a quick tour of some of the world’s great texts, sacred and profane, on dispute resolution, especially through methods chosen by the parties themselves. Then I shall look at a few of the systems that have been created across the globe to settle employment disputes, and what they may have to teach us about the most appropriate procedures. Because so many courts or public tribunals around the world have become overwhelmed by the volume of today’s litigation, much of my emphasis will be on alternative dispute resolution (“ADR”). Finally, I should like to venture a few thoughts on what I consider one of the profound, persisting problems in the world of work, as a prime example of the sort of basic human conflict that we must devise a means to resolve, or perhaps risk the very survival of our species.