7,866 cases settled at Lok Adalat organized by Gujarat Legal Services Authority

7,866 cases were settled at a Special Lok Adalat organized by the Gujarat State Legal Services Authority (GSLSA). The Lok Adalat focused on old cases related to cheque dishonour and matrimonial disputes, excluding divorce cases. Out of nearly 50,000 cases heard, 6,770 were settled under the Negotiable Instruments Act (NI Act) and 1,096 were matrimonial disputes. The initiative, directed by Chief Justice Sunita Agarwal of the Gujarat High Court, aimed to resolve long-pending cases through conciliation benches comprising judicial officers and trained mediators. The GSLSA’s efforts were praised for facilitating prompt debt recovery and reducing case backlogs. The project, monitored by Justice Abhay Oka of the Supreme Court, targets resolving 20 to 30-year-old cases by December 2024 and June 2025. The success of this Lok Adalat highlights the effectiveness of alternative dispute resolution mechanisms in addressing legal disputes and easing the burden on the judicial system.