Bennett-Cooper backs Mediation Bill as tool to ease family land disputes

KINGSTON, Jamaica – Government Senator Rose Bennett-Cooper has backed the Mediation Bill, 2026, noting that the proposed legislation could help Jamaican families resolve disputes over ancestral land without becoming embroiled in costly, protracted and divisive court battles.

Contributing to the debate on the Bill in the Senate on Friday, Bennett-Cooper, an attorney-at-law who has extensive expertise in land use, development and property matters, said mediation should be viewed as a practical way to address conflicts involving family property, inheritance and relationships strained by unresolved disputes.

“Sometimes, the very inheritance intended to unite a family becomes the source of division, bitterness and costly legal battles,” she said.