Mysuru” The Lok Adalat organised by Karnataka State Legal Services Authority and Mysuru District Legal Services Authority received good response from the public. The Courts that heard family disputes like divorce, alimony and child custody saw maximum attendance and litigants were seen continuously arriving at the court premises.

The Lok Adalat was organised at the Mysuru District Court Complex Court halls where the Judge sat along with the warring parties and their advocates. Usually, the judge sits on a raised desk (bench) on an elevated platform form while hearing the cases. Today, however, it was a one-on-one discussion with the litigants, their advocates and the Judge.

Lok Adalat is one of the alternative dispute redressal mechanisms. It is a forum where disputes/ cases pending in the court of law or at pre-litigation stage are settled/ compromised amicably. Lok Adalats have been given statutory status under the Legal Services Authorities Act, 1987.

Under the Act, the award (decision) made by the Lok Adalats 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 Lok Adalat (though there is no provision for an appeal against such an award), they are free to initiate litigation by approaching the court of appropriate jurisdiction.

Disputes including cheque bounce, bank loan and property recoveries, employment issues at companies, factories and industries, criminal cases that can be compromised, family disputes, divorce cases, child custody rights cases, payment of alimony by husbands to wives, motor vehicles cases, pension cases, electricity and water bill disputes, land acquisition and revenue disputes, house and property rent and lease disputes and other cases were heard at the Lok Adalat today.

There is no court fee payable when a matter is filed in a Lok Adalat. If a matter pending in the court of law is referred to the Lok Adalat and is settled subsequently, the court fee originally paid in the court on the complaints/ petition is also refunded back to the parties. Advocates and judges today were seen convincing the litigants on this fee aspect, asking them to settle cases through Lok Adalat. The next Lok Adalats in Mysuru this year will be held on 14.07.2018, 08.09.2018 and 08.12.2018.