Lok Adalat

Answer: Lok Adalat (people’s court) is an alternative dispute redressal forum where disputes, including consumer disputes, are settled by mutual compromise and conciliation.

It is organised under the Legal Services Authorities Act, 1987. It is presided over by a sitting or retired judicial officer along with a social worker or lawyer. There is no court fee, procedure is simple and decisions are quick. Its award is binding on the parties and has the force of a civil court decree; no appeal lies against it. Lok Adalats reduce the burden of pending cases in courts.