Lok Adalat - Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia
Lok Adalat - Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia
Lok Adalat - Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lok_Adalat
Lok Adalat
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Lok Adalat is a system of alternative dispute resolution developed in India. It roughly means "People's court". India has had a long history of resolving disputes through the mediation of village elders. The system of Lok Adalats is an improvement and is based on the principles of Mahatma Gandhi. Lok Adalat is a non-adversarial system, whereby mock courts (called Lok Adalats) are held by the State Authority, District Authority, Supreme Court Legal Services Committee, High Court Legal Services Committee, or Taluk Legal Services Committee. They are held periodically for exercising such jurisdiction as they determine. These are usually presided over by retired judges, social activists, or other members of the legal profession. The Lok Adalats can deal with all Civil Cases, Matrimonial Disputes, Land Disputes, Partition/Property Disputes, Labour Disputes etc., and compoundable criminal Cases.
Contents
1 Fees 2 Intake 3 Focus 4 Lok Adalat for Public Utility Services 5 Public Utility Services, Hyderabad, India 6 System adoption in other countries
Fees
There are no court fees nor any rigid procedural requirements (i.e. no need to follow regular processes as stated by either the Civil Procedure Code or the Evidence Act) which speeds up the process. Parties can directly interact with the judge, which is not allowed in regular courts.
Intake
Cases that are pending in regular courts can be transferred to a Lok Adalat if both the parties agree. A case can also be transferred to a Lok Adalat if one party applies to the court and the court sees some chance of settlement after the other party has been given an opportunity of being heard.
Focus
The focus in Lok Adalats is on compromise. When no compromise is reached, the matter goes back to the court. However, if a compromise is reached, an award is made and is binding on the parties. It is enforced as a decree of a civil court. An important aspect is that the award is final and cannot be appealed, not even under Article 226 because it is a judgement by consent. All proceedings of a Lok Adalat are deemed to be judicial proceedings and every Lok Adalat is deemed to be a Civil Court.
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