Abstract
While we have common conceptions of what risk is and how it aids in conceptualizing aspects of contemporary society, Ulrich Beck has put forward a body of theory on the subject, which he calls the risk society paradigm. Beck believes that certain foundational aspects of society are coming undone, a radical claim to be sure, and that thinking through aspects of risk will provide insight into those transformations that are to come. This socio-legal discussion will investigate Beck's claims in relation to Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR) and its institutionalization in Australian Federal Courts. By drawing upon the risk society paradigm, I will raise three interrelated points that will be the platform for further discussion: (1) the changing nature of legal decision-making spaces, (2) the legalization of ADR professionals and (3) how ADR is being called upon, in many instances, as a form of equity. Paper presented at the Department of Criminology Presentation Series, University of Melbourne, 24 October 2006.