State-wide Lok Adalat was successfully held across Gujarat including High Court, District and Taluka Courts today under the National Legal Services Authority and the Gujarat State Legal Services Authority
The Lok Adalat disposed of 48991 pending cases and 24470 pre-litigation cases. In the Lok Adalat at the High Court of Gujarat, 191 cases were disposed of. 133844 pending cases were disposed of in the Special Sittings of the Magistrate.
In the Lok Adalat, 48991 pending cases and 24470 Pre-litigation cases have been disposed of. 191 cases have been disposed of in the Lok Adalat held at the High Court of Gujarat. In the Special Sittings of the Magistrate 133844 pending cases have been disposed of. Thus, the pendency of 182835 cases has been reduced.
Awards worth Rs 716.30 crores have been passed in the Lok Adalat. Apart from other litigants, the State Government and Insurance Companies participated with full vigour.
The Special Sitting of the Magistrates held alongside the Lok Adalat stood out the most. Special Sitting of the Magistrates that are being held across Gujarat, whereby the petty criminal cases are being taken up and disposed of on the day of Lok Adalat. The idea of Special Sitting of the Magistrates was originally mooted by the Supreme Court Judge, Hon’ble Mr Justice M. R. Shah when His Lordship was heading the State Legal Services Authority as the Executive Chairman of Gujarat State Legal Services Authority.
The success of the Lok Adalat is also attributed to the systematic preparations in the form of identification of cases, conducting pre-settlement and conciliation sittings with the lawyers and parties.
The huge success is achieved under the able stewardship of Honourable Mr Justice Aravind Kumar, Chief Justice, High Court of Gujarat and the Patron-in-Chief, Gujarat State Legal Services Authority, Honourable Mr Justice R. M. Chhaya, Judge, High Court of Gujarat and Executive Chairman, Gujarat State Legal Services Authority and Honourable Ms Justice Sonia Gokani, Chairperson, Gujarat High Court Legal Services Committee.
Lok Adalat is a Statutory Organisation under the Legal Services Authorities Act, 1987, and was created as an alternative dispute resolution mechanism used in India. It is a forum where cases pending on panchayat, or at a pre-litigation stage in a court of law, are settled.
