Legal Services Authorities Have Converted Pandemic Into An Opportunity By Successfully Holding National Lok Adalat : Justice Lalit

The Legal Services Authorities across the country, under the aegis of National Legal Services Authority (NALSA) and guidance of Mr. Justice U.U. Lalit, Executive Chairman, NALSA, organised the second National Lok Adalat in the year 2021 on 10.07.2021. The same was organised in both virtual and hybrid mode and was held in 32 SLSAs/HCLSCs all across the country.

It was for the first time that Mr. Justice Lalit, Executive Chairman, NALSA himself monitored the working and functioning of Lok Adalats by way of virtual conferencing. In addition, Mr. Justice Lalit interacted with Presiding Officers of Lok Adalat Benches in the Districts Courts of Fatehgarh Sahib (Punjab), Gurugram (Haryana), Panchkula (Haryana), Bharatpur (Rajasthan), Noida (Gautam Buddh Nagar, Uttar Pradesh), Chennai (Tamil Nadu), Thiruvellore (Tamil Nadu) and Kutch (Gujarat). He further oversaw the working and functioning of Lok Adalat Benches at the High Court of Andhra Pradesh (Amaravati) and interacted with Hon'ble Judges, who were presiding over the Lok Adalat at the High Court of Rajasthan (Jodhpur). Mr. Justice Lalit inquired about the type of cases taken up, disposal rates and subject matter. His Lordship laid emphasis on the aspect that National Lok Adalats are imperative to reduce the huge pendency in the justice system of the country.

 In order to ensure maximum settlement between the parties in cases like MACT, matrimonial, cheque bounce cases under NI Act, labour disputes, PUS, other civil cases, etc., it was stressed upon by Hon'ble Executive Chairman, NALSA to conduct Pre-Lok Adalat sittings or pre-counselling sessions well before the National Lok Adalat so that the parties may get one or more chances for entering into dialogue with opposite parties to get maximum number of settlements.