Lok Adalat

Lok Adalats are a statutory alternative dispute-resolution mechanism in India under the Legal Services Authorities Act, 1987. They are organized by legal services authorities and committees at different levels. Their purpose is to help parties resolve eligible disputes through amicable compromise, including cases already before a court and certain disputes at a pre-litigation stage.

An ordinary Lok Adalat is conciliatory: its members assist parties impartially in trying to reach a settlement. They do not decide a referred dispute on its merits if no compromise is reached, and parties cannot be pressured to settle. A court may refer an eligible pending case in the circumstances described in the Act; a pre-litigation matter may be referred through the relevant legal services authority or committee after the required opportunity for the other party to be heard. Matters involving offences that cannot legally be compounded are outside its jurisdiction.

When parties reach a settlement, the Lok Adalat records an award. Under section 21 of the Act, an award is deemed to be a decree of a civil court or, where applicable, an order of another court; it is final and binding on the parties, and no appeal lies against it. Court fees paid in a pending case settled by Lok Adalat are refundable in the manner provided by law. If an ordinary Lok Adalat cannot secure agreement, a pending case returns to court for further proceedings; parties to a pre-litigation dispute may pursue an appropriate court remedy.

Permanent Lok Adalats are a separate statutory arrangement under Chapter VI-A of the Act, for pre-litigation disputes concerning specified public utility services. They first attempt conciliation. If settlement fails, they may decide the dispute on its merits where the Act permits and the dispute does not relate to an offence. Their jurisdiction and procedure are governed by the statute and applicable notifications; they should not be confused with ordinary Lok Adalats, which cannot impose a decision when parties fail to agree.

Lok Adalats may be organized by the National, State, District and Taluk legal services institutions, as well as relevant court legal services committees. National Lok Adalats bring courts across different levels together on designated days, while mobile Lok Adalats may travel to facilitate access in different places. NALSA describes Lok Adalat services as involving no court fee; where an already pending case is settled, the court fee originally paid is also refunded under the applicable procedure. People seeking referral or information can contact the legal services authority serving their area.