🏛️ Lok Adalats
Lok Adalats (People’s Courts) are an alternative dispute resolution (ADR) system in India created to provide speedy, cost-effective and amicable settlement of disputes. Governed by the Legal Services Authorities Act, 1987, Lok Adalats help ease the burden on courts and deliver justice in a non-adversarial manner.
📌 Types of Lok Adalats
- National Lok Adalat: Held across the country on a single day to dispose of large number of cases.
- State/District Lok Adalats: Conducted at regular intervals by the State or District Legal Services Authorities.
- Mobile Lok Adalats: Travel to rural or remote areas to provide on-the-spot resolution.
- Permanent Lok Adalats: Deal with disputes relating to public utility services like transport, electricity, water supply etc.
⚖️ Key Features
- Voluntary Participation: Both parties must agree to resolve their dispute.
- No Court Fees: No fees are charged and any previously paid court fees are refunded.
- Legally Binding Awards: The decision has the same status as a civil court decree.
- No Appeal: The award is final and cannot be appealed ensuring faster resolution.
- Efficient and Informal: Proceedings are simple, flexible and less formal than regular courts.
🧾 Types of Cases Handled
Lok Adalats can settle:
- Matrimonial and family disputes
- Motor accident compensation claims
- Cheque bounce cases under Section 138, NI Act
- Labour and employment disputes
- Land and property disputes
- Public utility service disputes (under Permanent Lok Adalats)
- Criminal cases (compoundable in nature)
🌟 Benefits of Lok Adalats
- Fast-Track Justice: Lok Adalats are designed to dispose of cases quickly and efficiently. Unlike traditional courts, where proceedings can take months or even years, disputes in Lok Adalats are resolved in a single sitting or in just a few sessions. This swift resolution helps in reducing the burden on the judiciary and ensures that justice is not delayed.
- Cost-Free Mechanism: One of the biggest advantages of Lok Adalats is that they are completely free of cost. There is no court fee and even if a case is already filed in a regular court, the fee paid is refunded if the matter is settled in a Lok Adalat. This makes legal remedies affordable and accessible, especially for people from economically weaker sections.
- No Lengthy Litigation: Lok Adalat proceedings are informal and non-technical. There are no complicated legal procedures or technicalities involved. This helps parties avoid prolonged legal battles and reach settlements without enduring the stress, delay and expenses of conventional litigation.
- Mutual Consent and Settlement: The foundation of Lok Adalat is conciliation and mutual agreement. Both parties must agree to the settlement ensuring that the decision is acceptable to everyone involved. This reduces animosity and promotes harmony, especially in family, property and community-related matters.
- Access to Justice for All: Lok Adalats uphold the principle of equal access to justice, especially for the poor, marginalized, and uneducated sections of society. By simplifying legal processes, eliminating costs, and reaching out through mobile Lok Adalats and legal aid camps, they bring justice to the doorstep of those, who need the most.
🗓️ National Lok Adalat Schedule – 2025
National Lok Adalats are generally organised four times a year across the country under the guidance of the National Legal Services Authority (NALSA). These are conducted on specific dates to enable mass disposal of pending and pre-litigation cases through amicable settlements.
📝 The schedule for organising National Lok Adalats in the year 2025 is as under:
- 1st National Lok Adalat – 8 March 2025
- 2nd National Lok Adalat – 10 May 2025
- 3rd National Lok Adalat – 13 September 2025
- 4th National Lok Adalat – 13 December 2025
📞 Want to Resolve a Dispute?
If you have a pending case or wish to settle a matter amicably, contact your nearest Legal Services Authority to know more about the Lok Adalat and list your case in upcoming National Lok Adalat