National Lok Adalat
Topic: Justice Delivery: Subordinate Courts, Tribunals, Legal Aid and Judicial Reforms · NCERT: Beyond NCERT
Meaning
A National Lok Adalat is a Lok Adalat held on the same day in courts across India. A Lok Adalat is a "people's court" that settles disputes by compromise. NALSA fixes the dates in advance on a calendar. Both pending court cases and disputes not yet filed in court (pre-litigation cases) are taken up. Its award works like a civil court's decree, and there is no appeal. It matters because it clears very large numbers of cases in one day. Online e-Lok Adalats began in 2020.
Example
On a National Lok Adalat day, a bank and a borrower can settle a loan dispute in a district court. The same day, two drivers can settle a car-accident claim by agreement.
Don't confuse with
- Permanent Lok Adalat: it is a standing body for public utility disputes, and it can decide a case on merits if talks fail. A National Lok Adalat works only by compromise.