As mentioned above, one of the myths about mediation is that the mediator will tell the parties what to do or make recommendations. Indeed, media reports of some high-profile mediation cases have sometimes refer to the mediators’ recommendations. This is far from the reality of how most mediators practice (and may indeed be a reporting error). In fact, a key element in the Code of Ethics and Practice of the MII is the principle of self-determination – in other words it is the parties themselves that make the decisions and determine the outcome, not the mediator.