LOK ADALAT (Syllabus: GS Paper 2 – Polity)
Context: The Supreme Court has decided to organise a special Lok Adalat to facilitate amicable settlements of suitable pending cases, commemorating the 75th year of its establishment.
Lok Adalat
- Definition: It 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.
- Statutory Status: Lok Adalats have been given statutory status under the Legal Services Authorities Act, 1987.
- Organization:
- Authority to Organize Lok Adalats:
oState Legal Services Authority
oDistrict Legal Services Authority
oSupreme Court Legal Services Committee
oHigh Court Legal Services Committee
oTaluk Legal Services Committee
- First Lok Adalat camp: Organised in Gujarat in 1982.
- Composition: Consists of serving or retired judicial officers and other specified persons.
oJudicial officer as chairman
oLawyer (advocate)
oSocial worker.
- Jurisdiction: Lok Adalats can settle cases pending before any court or disputes at the pre-litigation stage. However, cases relating to non-compoundable offenses are outside their purview.
- Power: They have the same powers as are vested in a Civil Court under the Code of Civil Procedure (1908).
oThey have powers to specify its own procedure,
oAll proceedings deemed to be judicial proceedings within the meaning of the Indian Penal Code (1860),
oThey deemed to be a Civil Court for the purpose of the Code of Criminal Procedure (1973).
- Final decision of the Lok Adalat:
oAll the decisions taken are deemed to be a decree of a Civil Court or an order of any other court.
oEvery award shall be final and binding on all the parties to the dispute.
oNo appeal shall lie to any court against the award of the Lok Adalat.
