Context:
Kerala becomes first State in India to launch Online Permanent Lok Adalat Services.
Lok Adalats:
- Lok Adalat translates to “People’s Court” and is based on Gandhian principles of amicable dispute resolution.
- Purpose – Provides an alternative dispute resolution mechanism to settle cases outside the formal judicial system.
- Legal Basis – Established under the Legal Services Authorities Act, 1987.
- Constitutional Basis – Article 39A of the Constitution emphasizes free legal aid and equal justice for all.
- Decisions made by Lok Adalats are considered equivalent to a civil court decree.
- The awards are final and binding on all parties.
- No provision for an appeal against the decision, but parties can initiate litigation in a regular court if dissatisfied.
- No court fee is charged for cases referred to Lok Adalats.
- Proceedings are less formal and aim for quick resolution.
- Focuses on conciliation and compromise between parties.
- Exclusions – Cases involving non-compoundable offences cannot be resolved in Lok Adalats.
Permanent Lok Adalat:
- Deals with disputes related to public utility services like transport, postal, telegraph, etc.
- Jurisdiction up to ₹1 crore.
- Pre-litigation mechanism to prevent cases from reaching courts.
Source: Livelaw
Previous Year Question
In India, Legal Services Authorities provide free legal services to which of the following type of citizens?
1. Person with an annual income of less than Rs. 1,00,000
2. Transgender with an annual income of less than Rs. 2,00,000
3. Member of Other Backward Classes (OBC) with an annual income of less than Rs. 3,00,000
4. All Senior Citizens
Select the correct answer using the code given below:
[UPSC Civil Services Exam – 2020 Prelims]
(a) 1 and 2 only
(b) 3 and 4 only
(c) 2 and 3 only
(d) 1 and 4 only
Answer: (a)
Explanation:
Statement 3 is incorrect. There is no such provision of free legal aid specifically for OBC.
Statement 4 is incorrect. The free Legal Aid is not available for free for all senior citizens.