In a historic push for alternative dispute resolution, the Haryana judiciary today cleared a massive chunk of its pending litigation, setting a new benchmark for “Justice at the Doorstep.”
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The Record Breakdown: Out of the 60,000+ cases resolved, a major portion involved traffic challans, bank recovery matters, and electricity bill disputes. However, the resolution of long-standing matrimonial and family disputes was highlighted as the most impactful, as many families chose to reconcile or settle amicably rather than continue years of litigation.
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Widespread Participation: Benches were constituted in every district of Haryana, from Panchkula to Nuh. Judges, advocates, and bank officials worked in tandem to facilitate dialogues between parties. The use of Pre-Lok Adalat sittings over the past week was credited for the high success rate on the final day.
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Financial Settlements: Preliminary reports suggest that compensation and settlement amounts totaling over ₹150 crore were awarded/agreed upon, particularly in Motor Accident Claim Tribunal (MACT) cases and insurance disputes, providing financial closure to many victims.
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Benefits to Litigants: The primary draw for the public was the “No-Appeal” nature of Lok Adalat awards—once a case is settled here, the decision is final and binding, and the court fee originally paid by the litigants is refunded as per rules.
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Judicial Statement: A senior official from HALSA remarked, “This record-breaking number shows the increasing faith of the common man in the Lok Adalat system. It saves time, money, and most importantly, the mental agony of prolonged court battles.”
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Impact on Backlog: With 60,000 cases off the books in just eight hours, the move has provided a significant “breathing space” for regular courts to focus on more complex and non-compoundable criminal trials.
