Lok Adalat is essentially a process by consensus, through which concerned parties will get their grievances settled through parleys and in the process avoiding unnecessary delay, hyper-technicalities on the pretext of procedural law, reducing the cost of litigation to the barest minimum and above all driving the litigant from pillar to post, through red-tapism.
In India, we have enacted a Lok Adalat Act, which paves the way for settlement of cases involving motor accidents, matrimonial offences, labour matters and Cheque bouncing cases etc..
On Saturday, the 3 rd of May, the Supreme Court of India for the first time in its history held a Lok Adalat and settled as many as 25 cases on a single day, arising out of appeals relating to motor accident compensation claims, matrimonial and labour matters pending for years.
For the first time cameras were allowed inside the court-hall for the media to take pictures of the proceedings. Inaugurating the Adalat, the Chief Justice K.G.Balakrishnan said that courts should settle disputes through Lok Adalats at regular intervals to meet the biggest challenge to the judiciary – Pendency.
The Chief Justice also urged the High Courts to organize Lok Adalats on a larger scale. and sought the co-operation of the litigants in making the adjudication through this medium a success.He also hailed the Lok Adalats as a salvation for the courts burdened with large pendency of cases.
On Saturday, 45 cases were listed for hearing , 32 accident compensation claims before a Bench headed by the Chief Justice and 13 matrimonial and labour disputes before Justice Ashok Bhan and Aftab Alam.
Initially, the Chief Justice along with Justices Arijit Passayat and P.Sathasivam settled in a few minutes tow cases of accident compensation claims with the consent of parties and representatives of Insurance Companies..Thereafter, Justices Sathasivam and Passayat settled 21 accident compensation cases.Of the 13 cases before the other Bench four cases were settled and nine cases got adjourned.
Despite of the all hype surrounding the Lok Adalat, cases which are triable only through summary proceedings come within its purview, which are, as the Chief Justice has pointed out is only a few drops in a ocean.
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