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Members of the State Legal Services Authority at the proceeding of the National Lok Adalat in Kohima on July 8.[/caption]
A total 219 cases were taken up for settlement, out of which 132 cases, mostly at pre-litigative stage, were disposed off on the same day. The total settlement amount involved in the disposed cases amounts to Rs 2,56,78,784 (two crore fifty six lakh seventy eight thousand and seven hundred eighty four) only.
The Lok Adalat sittings and proceedings were conducted by legal services institutions to provide speedy justice and also to ease up the case pendency in the District & Sessions Courts. Sittings were carried out at the respective district court buildings and also at suitable places arranged accordingly for convenience.
In some cases, the proceedings were conducted in local dialects overcoming the barrier of illiteracy. The Principal District & Sessions Judges, Chief Judicial Magistrates and Civil Judges appointed as presiding officers were assisted by the panel lawyers, retainer lawyers, legal aid counsels, police personnel, bank officials and para legal volunteers as conciliators.
Lok Adalat (Peoples Court) is for speedy and amicable settlement of cases based on the concept of conciliated settlement of disputes. There is no further appeal once the matter is settled in Lok Adalat. Both the parties negotiate for settlement and resolved their cases on the spot and on immediate basis. The system of Lok Adalat minimises litigation expenditure and there is no court fee charges in Lok Adalat. The parties can get their disputes settled fast and free of cost.
The National Lok Adalat is held bimonthly throughout the country and are administered by the respective State Legal Services Authorities which are statutory bodies constituted under the Legal Services Authorities Act 1987.