National Lok Adalat is to be organised in the Supreme Court on Saturday, 14th February 2015. A list of matters to be taken up by the National Lok Adalat to be held on 14th February has been provided on the Supreme Court website (here). The concerned advocates or parties-in-person are supposed to intimate their presence at the above National Lok Adalat to the Secretary, Supreme Court Legal Services Authority. The last date for such intimation is 10th February, 2015.
A circular dated 22nd January 2015 was put up on the Supreme Court website which has enumerated the subject categories related to which cases will be taken up by the Lok Adalat. This time, matters pertaining to only 4 subject categories will be taken up, namely:
- Matters challenging prosecution under Negotiable Instruments Act
- Banks mortgage disputes
- Hypothecation, Pledge
- Matters relating to recovery of debts/bank loans due under the banks and financial Institutions.
A detailed list of cases relating to the above four subject categories is made available on the Supreme Court website (here).
Lok Adalat is one of the mechanisms of an alternative dispute resolution system. Lok Adalat is based on the lines of the Panchayat system, where disputes are resolved in an amicable manner. The first Lok Adalat was held on March 14, 1982 in Gujarat. Lok Adalat has now been given a statutory status after the enactment of the Legal Services Authority Act, 1987.
Lok Adalat has the power to hear and adjudicate matters such as matrimonial disputes, civil cases, land disputes, partition cases, labour law cases, commercial matters, service matters and compoundable criminal cases. Every award of the Lok Adalat is deemed to be a decree of a civil court, as per Section 21 of the Legal Services Authority Act. Every award is final and binding on the parties and no appeal is allowed. However, there is no compulsion for the parties to reach to a settlement and if the parties do not agree to a compromise then there shall be no award and the case shall be referred to the appropriate court.
The previous National Lok Adalat was organised on 6th December 2014. This National Lok Adalat which was held throughout the country saw the settlement of 1.25 crores cases, resulting in reduction of the pendency of cases by 9%.
