Justice Sanjiv Khanna Leads 3rd National Lok Adalat in 27 States, Settles Over 1 Crore Cases
The National Legal Services Authority (NALSA) successfully organized the 3rd National Lok Adalat of 2024 on September 14. This event took place in the Taluks, Districts, and High Courts of 27 States and Union Territories (UTs) under the leadership of Justice Sanjiv Khanna, Judge of the Supreme Court of India and Executive Chairman of NALSA.
By the evening, a remarkable 1,14,56,529 cases were settled, including 94,60,864 pre-litigation cases and 19,95,665 pending cases. The total settlement amount reached ₹8482.08 crores. The number of settled cases is expected to rise as more reports come in from various State Legal Services Authorities.
The Lok Adalat resolved a wide range of cases, such as criminal compoundable offences, traffic challans, revenue cases, bank recovery cases, motor accident claims, cheque dishonour cases, labour disputes, matrimonial disputes (excluding divorce cases), land acquisition cases, IPR or consumer matters, and other civil cases.
This overwhelming response from citizens aligns with the goals of the Legal Services Authorities Act, 1987, and the National Legal Services Authority (Lok Adalats) Regulations, 2009. The success of this Lok Adalat reflects the trust people have in this system, significantly enhancing access to justice, especially for the underprivileged and marginalized sections of society.
According to Santosh Snehi Mann, Member Secretary of NALSA, the organization remains committed to promoting alternative dispute resolution mechanisms across the country. Lok Adalats play a crucial role in facilitating amicable settlements and compromises between disputing parties, functioning as an alternative to the traditional court system.
NALSA promotes legal awareness and provides free legal services to economically weaker sections of society. By organizing Lok Adalats, NALSA helps reduce the burden on formal courts, offering a speedy, cost-effective, and informal platform for dispute resolution. Decisions made by Lok Adalats are legally binding and cannot be appealed in higher courts, ensuring finality in settlements.
Doubts Revealed
Justice Sanjiv Khanna -: Justice Sanjiv Khanna is a judge in the Supreme Court of India. He helps make important decisions about laws and justice in the country.
National Lok Adalat -: A National Lok Adalat is a special event where many legal cases are settled quickly and peacefully. It helps people avoid long and expensive court cases.
27 States/UTs -: India has 28 states and 8 Union Territories (UTs). In this event, 27 of these states and UTs participated to settle legal cases.
1.14 crore cases -: 1.14 crore means 11.4 million. This is the number of legal cases that were settled during the National Lok Adalat.
₹8482.08 crores -: ₹8482.08 crores is a large amount of money, equal to 84.82 billion rupees. This was the total value of the settlements made during the event.
NALSA -: NALSA stands for National Legal Services Authority. It is an organization in India that helps provide free legal services to people who cannot afford them.
pre-litigation cases -: Pre-litigation cases are disputes that are resolved before they go to court. This helps people avoid long legal processes.
pending cases -: Pending cases are legal disputes that are already in court but have not yet been resolved. Lok Adalats help settle these cases quickly.
cost-effective -: Cost-effective means something that saves money. Lok Adalats are cost-effective because they help people resolve disputes without spending a lot of money on court fees.
underprivileged -: Underprivileged people are those who do not have many resources or opportunities. Lok Adalats help these people get justice without spending too much money.