Breaking previous records, the third National Lok Adalat of 2022, held on August 13, resolved more over 75 lakh pre-litigation cases and 25 lakh outstanding cases, surpassing the 1 crore threshold. The settlement sum was estimated to be around 90 billion Rupees. The 3rd Lok Adalat was held in every State and Union Territory with the exception of Delhi under the supervision of Justice U.U. Lalit, the Chief Justice of India-designate and executive chairman of the National Legal Services Authority (NALSA). The Lok Adalat shall be held in Delhi on August 21.
In addition, the Lok Adalat saw a historic event when a criminal appeal was decided through video conference, according to a news release from NALSA.
“Ankita Tigga, the presiding officer, was hearing a case before the Division Bench No. 24 in which both the applicant and one of the defendants had passed away. Through video conference, the dead applicant’s daughter, who was the legal heir and was then living in “Scotlad,” was questioned, and the dispute was then resolved amicably “according to the press release.
The press release further emphasizes that Justice Lalit personally communicated with the State Legal Services Authorities to monitor the developments in order to guarantee a friendly organization of Lok Adalat across the nation. According to the statement, “This year the purpose of NALSA, which has always been to promote quick and economical justice for the average man, has moved one step ahead by recording such numbers and this has only been made possible owing to His Lordship’s unwavering efforts and enthusiasm.”
A total of 95,78,209 cases were resolved in the first National Lok Adalat for a total settlement of 9,422 crore. NALSA organizes National Lok Adalats every three months to handle unresolved civil matters, criminal offences that can be compounded, and marital disputes with the exception of divorce. These Adalats are viewed as an alternative conflict resolution method to give litigants, particularly those from the lower parts of society, simple, affordable, informal access to justice.
Read more legal news here.