Lok Adalat
- The term ‘Lok Adalat’ means ‘People’s Court’ and is based on Gandhian principles.
- As per the Supreme Court, it is an old form of adjudicating system prevailed in ancient India and its validity has not been taken away even in the modern days too.
- It is one of the components of the Alternative Dispute Resolution(ADR) system and delivers informal, cheap and expeditious justice to the common people.
- The first Lok Adalat camp was organised in Gujarat in 1982 as a voluntary and conciliatory agency without any statutory backing for its decisions.
- In view of its growing popularity over time, it was given statutory status under the Legal Services Authorities Act, 1987.
- The Act makes the provisions relating to the organisation and functioning of the Lok Adalats.
Organisation:
- The State/District Legal Services Authority or the Supreme Court/High Court/Taluk Legal Services Committee may organise Lok Adalats at such intervals and places and for exercising such jurisdiction and for such areas as it thinks fit.
- Every Lok Adalat organised for an area shall consist of such number of serving or retired judicial officers and other persons of the area as may be specified by the agency organising.
- Generally, a Lok Adalat consists of a judicial officer as the chairman and a lawyer (advocate) and a social worker as members.
- National Legal Services Authority (NALSA) along with other Legal Services Institutions conducts Lok Adalats.
- NALSA was constituted under the Legal Services Authorities Act, 1987 which came into force on 9th November 1995 to establish a nationwide uniform network for providing free and competent legal services to the weaker sections of the society.