Tamil Nadu - Coimbatore   

An effort to reduce backlog of cases

Continuous Lok Adalats aim at ensuring speedy justice to litigants, writes V.S. Palaniappan

JUDGES OF the Madras High Court P. Sadasivam, Chitra Venkataraman and P.P.S. Janardhana Raja will chairing<149> three panels of Continuous Lok Adalts in Coimbatore on Saturday.

Principal District and Sessions Judge S.F. Akbar told The Hindu that Lok Adalats under Alternative Dispute Redressal (ADR) a<149>re aimed at ensuring speedy justice to litigants besides clearing cases pending before courts.

For the first time, a different concept, Continuous Lok Adalats, was being conducted. Under the traditional Lok Adalat, if disputes were not settled, they would go back to the Bench.

Under the Continuous Lok Adalat, if the mediation was mid-way, the Adalat will<149>be adjourned to another day. In the second sitting, the same panel of judges would hear the case. The parties concerned could think over and consult among themselves and come to an understanding by utilising the time between sitting. and the next, he said.<149>

On Saturday each panel is expected to hear a maximum of 75 cases. The cases to be referred to the Lok Adalat would be motor vehicle accident claim petitions, cases under Section 138 of Negotiable Instruments Act for cheque bounce (wherein prosecution is based on a private complaint and the commission of offence would not be criminal in nature), matrimonial cases, suits arising out of default to settle bank loans and partisan suits. In cases of disputes arising out of <149>owing non-settlement of loan arrears, if the banks came forward to waive the penal interest, the litigants could settle the same and a decree could be passed immediately, he added.Nature of cases referred to Lok Aadalats would be the ones not involving much legal procedure.

Each panel would be assisted by an O<149>rthopaedic surgeon for deciding on the extent of disability caused in an accident and on the quantum of compensation, members of the Bar Association and distinguished members from various walks of life. Only when there was no settlement based on consensus after a few sittings, would the dispute be referred back to the Bench.

Under the Lok Adalat, judicial officers pointed out, it would be a win-win situation for both sides since there would be no losers or winners. At the Adalat venue on Saturday, there would be three mediation centres. It may be recalled that the judiciary arranged for a training session in mediation skills and three qualified trainers-cum-legal practitioners from Chennai imparted training to judicial officers and members of the Bar Association. Allaying apprehensions voiced by a section of the legal practitioners regarding threat to their professional prospects, Mr.Akbar said litigants would continue to stick to their lawyers .

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