In this article you will learn about Lok Adalats in Political Science.
Lok Adalats
Lok Adalats are alternative dispute resolution forums that were established in India as a means to provide speedy and inexpensive justice to people. The term 'Lok Adalat' means 'people's court' in Hindi. It is a forum where disputes pending in courts or at pre-litigation stage are settled amicably. The Lok Adalat system was introduced in India through the Legal Services Authorities Act, 1987. It is a statutory body constituted under the act and has been given the power to settle disputes, both civil and criminal, through conciliation and compromise. It operates on the principles of justice, equity, and fair play. The Lok Adalat comprises a judicial officer, a lawyer, and a social worker or any other person who is considered to be an expert in the field of law. The proceedings of the Lok Adalat are informal, and the parties can present their case in their own language.
The system of settlement of legal disputes through Lok Adalats has been becoming more and more popular. It has been producing desired quick results and low cost justice. Lok Adalats have emerged as an important additional part of the Indian Judicial System. These have been now actively acting as associate organisations of the judicial system.
Lok Adalats have been playing a useful role in settling some long pending civil disputes and cases among various litigants. This settles disputes through arbitration, negotiations and compromises based upon the principles of Law and Justice. A primary objective of each Lok Adalat is to secure such an understanding, consensus and consent among the parties to a dispute as can enable them to accept a mutually agreed settlement of their case or dispute. Lok Adalats have started playing a very useful role in enabling people to get compensation in long pending disputes and cases. These have enabled the judicial system to lessen some of its burden, which has been a product of delays in the settlement of cases by the regular courts.
Each Lok Adalat has a judicial officer – a judge of the Lok Adalat, and two to five eminent citizens of the particular area. Members of a Lok Adalat are usually nominated from amongst social workers, members of women's organisations, educationists, retired civil servants, doctors, journalists, teachers, or social leaders of the area. The Judicial officer and members of a Lok Adalat always try to secure an agreement among the parties to a dispute as this can enable Lok Adalat to settle their disputes. In some cases, a Lok Adalat is presided over by a judge of the High Court or by the District and Session Judge.
The Lok Adalat has the power to pass a compromise award, which is final and binding on the parties. The award is equivalent to a decree of a civil court and can be executed like a decree. The Lok Adalat is an effective way to resolve disputes as it is an inexpensive and time-efficient method. It encourages the parties to arrive at a settlement through mutual understanding, and this helps to reduce the burden on the already overburdened court system.
This article on Lok Adalats in Political Science is contributed by Dipshikha Anand. If you like LawStudyPoint.com do follow us on our Twitter handle.