The Boulle recognition — why it matters

Professor Laurence Boulle is one of the foremost authorities on mediation in Australia. His textbook is the standard reference for practitioners, academics, and courts. Being included in it is not something I sought — it came from a body of work built over more than a decade of practice.

I mention it not to impress, but because I think it matters to the people who engage me.

When you refer a workplace conflict to a mediator, you are asking people — often people who are in real distress, whose careers and wellbeing are genuinely at stake — to trust a process and a practitioner they have never encountered before. The credibility of both should be beyond question.

The recognition in Boulle's work reflects something I have always believed about this model: that restorative mediation, done properly, is not a soft alternative to formal dispute resolution. It is a rigorous, structured, evidence-informed methodology with a coherent philosophical foundation and a demonstrable track record.

Over 620 restorative mediations between individuals. More than 300 group restorative processes. Conducted across every sector — healthcare, education, government, professional services, not-for-profit.

The outcomes speak for themselves. But it's useful, sometimes, to have them recognised in writing.

Learn More About How Restorative Mediation Works