One day Lok Adalat settles more than 2 cr. worth of cases in Nagaland

Dimapur, November 13 : The NSLSA observed National Lok Adalat across the state on Saturday during which members of the district legal services authorities at ten district headquarters conducted Lok Adalat (people’s court). The Nagaland State Legal Services Authority (NSLSA) is under the state’s department of Law & Justice. The members comprised presiding judges and conciliators “for quick and inexpensive settlement of disputes and cases, reducing the backlog existing in the Justice delivery system,” a note from the NSLSA stated in a press release to the media on November 13. According to the statement, 428 cases were taken up for settlement before the Lok Adalat. Out of stated number, 223 cases–mostly pre-litigating cases–were settled during the day’s events. “The total settlement amount involved in the disposed cases amounts to Rs. 2,25,77,032. The settlement amount involves mostly in bank recovery cases, consumer cases and fine amount in traffic related offences and other cases,” the press release said. Lok Adalat proceedings were also conducted in district courts complexes besides other ‘suitable places arranged accordingly for convenience,’ the NSLSA stated. “In some cases, the proceedings were conducted in local dialects for the illiterates. Mobile Lok Adalat was also organised for traffic challan matters and traffic related offences in some districts. The district-and-sessions judge, chief judicial magistrate and civil judges were the presiding officials for the Lok Adalats. They were assisted by conciliators appointed from the district administration, officials from the municipal organisations, police personnel, panel lawyers, retainer lawyers, legal aid counsels, social workers, and paralegal volunteers. The traffic police establishment also provided “meritorious service” in traffic-related matters, the NSLSA stated. “The Lok Adalat was successful with handy cooperation and assistance from conciliators,” the group informed. N Jamir, nodal officer for the Lok Adalat, of the Nagaland State Legal Services Authority, appended the press release. For our readers, Lok Adalat is a justice-delivery system that is meant for speedy and amicable settlement of cases based on the concept of conciliated settlement of disputes. Lok Adalats (people’s courts) settle dispute through conciliation and compromise. There is no further appeal once the matter is settled at Lok Adalat. Parties negotiate for settlement and resolve their cases on the spot and on ‘immediate basis.’ The system of Lok Adalat minimizes litigation expenditure and there is no court fee in Lok Adalat. The parties can get their disputes settled fast and free of cost. The court accepts cases that are pending in regular courts under their jurisdiction. Also, the Lok Adalat is presided over by a sitting or retired judicial officer as the chairman, with two other members, usually a lawyer and a social worker. The main condition of the Lok Adalat is that both parties in dispute should agree for settlement. There is no court fee. If the case is already filed in the regular court, the fee paid will be refunded if the dispute is settled at the Lok Adalat. The procedural laws and the Evidence Act are not strictly followed while assessing the merits of the claim by the Lok Adalat. The decision of the Lok Adalat is binding on the parties to the dispute and its order is capable of execution through legal process. No appeal lies against the order of the Lok Adalat. Lok Adalat is effective in the settlement of money claims. Disputes like partition suits, damages and matrimonial cases can also be easily settled before Lok Adalat, as the scope for compromise through an approach of give and take is high in these cases.