The Legal Services Authority Act makes
provisions in relation to the establishment, powers and functions etc.
of the Lok Adalat. The Preamble of the act makes it clear that the it
has been connected to constitutes the legal Services Authorities to
provide free and Competent legal services to the weaker sections of the
society to ensure that opportunities for securing justice are not denied
to any citizen by reason of economic or other disabilities and organise
Lok Adalats to secure that operation of the legal system promotes
Justice on a basis of equal opportunity.
The Lok Adalat provide quick justice at less expenses. Actually Lok
Adalat is an old concept. In ancient India it played important role in
settlement of disputes. In British period the Institution of Lok Adalat
was replaced by centralised judicial system. Local Courts were replaced
by the Royal Courts.
The object of
establishment of Lok Adalat is to settle the disputes quickly by
counselling and discussions, etc. Its basis is to provide quick
justice with the mutual and free consent of the parties. The provision
for establishment of Lok Adalat has been enacted with the object to
reduce burden on the Courts so that the problem of law's delay may be
solved and people may get justice within due time. It is supplementary
to the judicial system and not a substitute thereof.
Lok Adalat saves not only time but also huge expenditure on judicial
proceedings in the current judicial system. It provides quick justice at
nominal expenditure. Thus, it provides less expensive Justice to the
people.
The Lok Adalat is not a Court. It may be taken as a para-judicial institution .