Definition
A statutory form of alternative dispute resolution under the Legal Services Authorities Act, 1987 — a forum where disputes are settled through compromise and conciliation; the award passed by the Lok Adalat is final, binding, and deemed a decree of a civil court, and is not appealable.
Lok Adalats (People's Courts) are established under Chapter VI of the Legal Services Authorities Act, 1987 by the National Legal Services Authority (NALSA), State Legal Services Authorities (SLSAs), District Legal Services Authorities (DLSAs), and High Court Legal Services Committees. They may be organised permanently or periodically. Cases that can be referred to Lok Adalat: any matter pending before a court; pre-litigation disputes (if both parties agree). The Lok Adalat has no jurisdiction over non-compoundable offences. If no settlement is reached, the case goes back to the court from which it was referred. There is no court fee; and if a matter pending in court is settled in Lok Adalat, the court fee paid is refunded.
Statutory Definition
Section 19, Legal Services Authorities Act, 1987: 'Every State Authority shall organise Lok Adalats at such intervals and places and for exercising such jurisdiction and for such areas as it thinks fit.' Section 20: procedure; Section 21: award of Lok Adalat — 'Every award of the Lok Adalat shall be deemed to be a decree of a civil court or, as the case may be, an order of any other court and shall be final and binding on the parties to the dispute, and no appeal shall lie to any court against the award.'
Etymology & Origin
From Hindi/Urdu 'lok' (people, from Sanskrit 'loka' — world, people) + 'adalat' (court, from Arabic 'adalat' — justice, equity). 'Lok Adalat' literally means 'People's Court' — a court of and for the people, emphasising accessibility and simplicity.
Full Legal Analysis
Lok Adalat: People’s Justice Through Compromise
Lok Adalats embody Gandhian principles of non-adversarial justice — they seek resolution through compromise and conciliation, not by determining who is right and imposing a verdict. The award is not a judgment but a settlement agreement clothed with the force of a decree. No court fee is charged; no appeal lies; and the parties walk away having agreed to their solution. This combination makes Lok Adalat one of the most effective dispute resolution mechanisms for bulk settlement of pending cases.
Key Features of Lok Adalat
(a) No court fee: No fee to approach a Lok Adalat; if a pending court case is settled, the court fee already paid is refunded. (b) Award is final: The award passed by Lok Adalat is final and binding — no appeal lies to any court. This finality makes Lok Adalat awards more durable than contested judgments. (c) No non-compoundable offences: Lok Adalats have no jurisdiction over offences that are not compoundable — criminal matters that cannot legally be settled between the parties are outside Lok Adalat scope. (d) Deemed decree of civil court: The award is enforceable as a civil court decree — for execution purposes, it is treated exactly like a decree. (e) Permanent Lok Adalats: For public utility services (transport, hospitals, electricity, insurance), Permanent Lok Adalats (Sections 22A-22E) can make awards even if parties don't agree — quasi-arbitral rather than purely conciliatory.
Motor Accident Compensation: Lok Adalat Success
Lok Adalats have been most successful in motor accident compensation cases — where large volumes of pending cases are settled efficiently. The Insurance Regulatory and Development Authority of India (IRDAI) guidelines direct insurers to participate in Lok Adalats and offer reasonable settlements. Many High Courts periodically organise Motor Accident Lok Adalats that settle hundreds of cases in a single day, clearing the backlog and providing faster compensation to accident victims.
“Lok Adalat is justice without winners and losers. Both parties leave having agreed — not having been told. The award is not imposed from above; it emerges from below, from the parties’ own willingness to settle. And because it emerges from agreement, it is more durable than any contested judgment.”
This Term in Indian Statutes
Legal Services Authorities Act, 1987, 1987
"Every award of the Lok Adalat shall be deemed to be a decree of a civil court or, as the case may be, an order of any other court and shall be final and binding on the parties to the dispute, and no appeal shall lie to any court against the award."
Lok Adalat award: final and binding, deemed civil court decree, no appeal — enforced through execution
