India’s First E-LokAdalat

• 14 Jul 2020

• Chhattisgarh State Legal Service Authority and the High Court organised India’s first e-LokAdalat through video conferencing to ensure the administration of justice and to solve the financial crisis of the parties and lawyers amid COVID-19 pandemic.
• LokAdalat is one of the alternative dispute grievance mechanisms or a forum where pending cases or disputes in the court of law are settled or compromised whereas e-lokadalat will be handled virtually.
• LokAdalats have been given statutory status under the Legal Services Authorities Act, 1987. Under the said Act, the award (decision) made by the LokAdalats is deemed to be a decree of a civil court and is final and binding on all parties and no appeal against such an award lies before any court of law.
• If the parties are not satisfied with the award of the LokAdalat though there is no provision for an appeal against such an award, but they are free to initiate litigation by approaching the court of appropriate jurisdiction by filing a case by following the required procedure, in exercise of their right to litigate.