Principal District and Sessions Judge Siddalinga Prabhu addressing presspersons at the District Court complex in Ballari on Saturday.
| Photo Credit: SPECIAL ARRANGEMENT
Principal District and Sessions Judge Siddalinga Prabhu on Saturday urged litigants to make effective use of the Lok Adalat system, describing it as a speedy, free and amicable mechanism for resolving disputes outside the conventional court process.Addressing a gathering during the National Lok Adalat organised at the District Court complex in Ballari, Mr. Prabhu said the Lok Adalat had emerged as one of the most effective and widely accepted alternative dispute resolution mechanisms in the Indian judicial system.“It functions with the objective of ensuring justice for all by providing speedy and free access to justice, while relieving litigants of prolonged court proceedings,” he said.Mr. Prabhu said disputes could be resolved in a single day through mutual consent of the parties, without lengthy arguments and procedural delays. Cases relating to compoundable criminal offences, civil disputes, bank loan recovery, motor accident compensation claims, family disputes and land acquisition compensation could all be settled through Lok Adalats, he added.Giving details of the day’s proceedings, he said that of the 36,188 pending cases in the district, 8,882 had been referred to the National Lok Adalat, and 4,957 had already been amicably settled.First Additional District and Sessions Judge H.A. Mohan said no court fee was charged for cases settled in Lok Adalats. If court fee had already been paid, the entire amount would be refunded to the parties after settlement. He pointed out that an award passed by a Lok Adalat had the same legal status as a decree of a civil court and was final, with no provision for appeal.He said the mechanism not only ensured permanent settlement of disputes but also significantly reduced the burden on regular courts while promoting harmony in society.Rajesh N. Hosamane, member-secretary of the District Legal Services Authority and senior civil judge, said there were no winners or losers in a Lok Adalat. “Since disputes were resolved through dialogue and mutual agreement, both parties benefited and social and family relationships were preserved,” he said.He added that strict procedural provisions under laws such as the Civil Procedure Code and the Indian Evidence Act were not rigidly applied during conciliation, enabling parties to interact freely with conciliators without fear or formalities. Published - July 11, 2026 06:48 pm IST
