Lok Adalats

• A national level Lok Adalat was held across the country recently.
• National Level Lok Adalats are held for at regular intervals where on a single day Lok Adalats are held throughout the country, in all the courts right from the Supreme Court till the Taluk Levels wherein cases are disposed off in huge numbers.

ABOUT LOK ADALATS

• NALSA along with other Legal Services Institutions conducts Lok Adalats.
• Lok Adalat is one of the alternative dispute redressal mechanisms, it is a forum where disputes/cases pending in the court of law or at pre-litigation stage are settled/ compromised amicably.
• Levels of Lok Adalats-
• Lok Adalats have been given statutory status under the Legal Services Authorities Act, 1987.
• Under the said Act, the award (decision) made by the Lok Adalats is deemed to be a decree of a civil court and is final and binding on all parties and no appeal against such an award lies before any court of law.
• If the parties are not satisfied with the award of the Lok Adalat though there is no provision for an appeal against such an award, but they are free to initiate litigation by approaching the court of appropriate jurisdiction by filing a case by following the required procedure, in exercise of their right to litigate.
• There is no court fee payable when a matter is filed in a Lok Adalat.
  • If a matter pending in the court of law is referred to the Lok Adalat and is settled subsequently, the court fee originally paid in the court on the complaints/petition is also refunded back to the parties.
• The persons deciding the cases in the Lok Adalats are called the Members of the Lok Adalats, they have the role of statutory conciliators only and do not have any judicial role
• The Lok Adalat shall not decide the matter so referred at its own instance, instead the same would be decided on the basis of the compromise or settlement between the parties.
• The members shall assist the parties in an independent and impartial manner in their attempt to reach amicable settlement of their dispute.
• Cases that can be referred to Lok Adalat
  • Any case pending before any court.
  • Any dispute which has not been brought before any court and is likely to be filed before the court.
    • Provided that any matter relating to an offence not compoundable under the law shall not be settled in Lok Adalat.