Representative image showing a gavel.
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New Delhi: A significant number of over 1.14 Crore cases were settled at the third National Lok Adalat on Saturday in the Taluks, Districts and High Courts of 27 States and Union Territories.
Of those cases, 94,60,864 were pre-litigation and 19,95,665 were pending cases.
Among the cases settled were 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.
The approximate value of the total settlement amount in these cases was Rs 8482.08 Crores. The number of settled cases is expected to rise as reports are awaited from some State Legal Services Authorities. This overwhelming response from citizens aligns with the intention behind Legal Services Authorities Act, 1987, and the National Legal Services Authority (Lok Adalats) Regulations, 2009, said a press release by Santosh Snehi Mann, member secretary of NALSA.
"The present success reflects the trust of the people in Lok Adalats, significantly enhancing access to justice, especially for the underprivileged and marginalised sections of society. NALSA remains committed to organising more Lok Adalats and promoting alternative dispute resolution mechanisms across the country," it said.
The present Lok Adalat was organised under the stewardship of Justice Sanjiv Khanna, Judge, Supreme Court of India and Executive Chairman, NALSA.
Lok Adalat aids in arriving at an amicable settlement or compromise between the parties outside the confines of a formal court system.
"The National Legal Services Authority (NALSA) remains committed to promoting access to justice for all through its various initiatives, including the organization of Lok Adalats, and continues to make strides in reducing the burden on the formal judicial system by encouraging alternative dispute resolution mechanisms," the press release said.