For the first time, Lok Adalats are being held on Saturday across the country in all courts including t
The National Lok Adalat, which aims at reducing pendency in the courts, will be held from 10 AM to 5 PM and will be inaugurated by the Chief Justice P Sathasivam who is also the Patron-in-Chief of the National Legal Services Authority (NALSA).
The inauguration programme would be viewed all over the nation through video conferencing and web casting facilitated by the e-Committee of the Supreme Court and the National Informatics Centre.
Apart from the CJI, Justice G S Singhvi, Executive Chairman of NALSA, and Justice A K Patnaik, Chairman Supreme Court Legal Services Committee, Delhi High Court Chief Justice N V Ramana who is the Patron-in-Chief of Delhi State Legal Services Authority (DLSA), high court judges and other dignitaries will also participate in the National Lok Adalat.
“A large number of criminal compoundable cases, cheque bounce and bank recovery cases, civil suits, motor accident claims and family matters are expected to be taken up on November 23, 2013. “Apart from these cases, in many States, revenue matters, land acquisition references, consumer matters, service and labour matters will also be taken up for amicable settlements,” a release issued by NALSA said.
In the apex court, three Lok Adalat benches constituting its sitting judges will take up 107 matters, out of which 24 are matrimonial/family disputes and 60 motor accident compensation claims.
“Lakhs of cases have been identified and referred to the National Lok Adalat and a few lakh cases are expected to be finally disposed of. Once so disposed, there will be no further appeal in these cases. Thus it will have a significant impact on the judicial system,” the release said.
Meanwhile, DLSA said that in the capital, apart from the Supreme Court and the Delhi High Court, the National Lok Adalat is organized in all the six district court complexes Tis Hazari, Karkardooma, Patiala House, Saket, Rohini and Dwarka courts.
A total of 300 benches have been constituted for all the cases pending in the six Delhi district courts.
Along with the Lok Adalat, through the special sitting of magistrates and judges, a large number of infructuous cases are expected to be taken up for disposal.
The National Lok Adalat, which would also be held at Taluk level courts, also aims to draw the attention of the public to the efficacious alternative dispute resolution method of Lok Adalat.
In order to encourage people to opt for Lok Adalat settlements even before coming to the courts, pre-litigation cases will also be taken up in the National Lok Adalat along with traffic challans, it said.
There are 65,893 cases pending in the Supreme Court as on 1st November, 2013.
Out of this, 35,447 are admission matters and 30,446 are regular hearing matters.
The number of constitution bench matters are 39 and referred matters are 149. The pendency of cases in high courts and lower courts run into several lakhs.