SRINAGAR, JUNE 4: Under the patronage of Chief Justice, High Court of Jammu & Kashmir and Ladakh (Patron-in-Chief, J&K Judicial Academy), Arun Palli and under the guidance of Chairperson and members of the Governing Committee of J&K Judicial Academy, the Judicial Academy organized a one day training programme on “Holding and Conducting of the Lok Adalats” at its premises in Mominabad, Srinagar.
The programme was aimed to equip the judicial officers with in-depth understanding and operational clarity on the legal framework, structure and challenges associated with organizing Lok Adalats as per the Legal Services Authorities Act, 1987 and its allied regulations.
The first session was conducted by Former Chief Justice of the Meghalaya High Court, Mohammad Yaqoob Mir, who elaborated on the historical development of the Lok Adalat system from its roots in traditional dispute resolution methods to its formal recognition through Article 39A of the Constitution and the Legal Services Authorities Act. He highlighted the benefits of the system in delivering inexpensive, speedy and accessible justice to the marginalized.
The second technical session was led by Director, J&K Judicial Academy, Sonia Gupta and Registrar Vigilance, High Court of J&K and Ladakh, Rajiv Gupta. They focused on practical aspects such as constitution of Lok Adalat benches, categorisation of cases, procedural coordination with stakeholders like banks, insurance companies, police and para-legal volunteers. They also addressed the drafting and passing of awards and common hurdles in executing compromise settlements especially in cheque bounce cases under Section 138 of the Negotiable Instruments Act.
The training programme was marked by candid exchanges where the participants shared real-world experiences, discussed execution challenges post-award and explored the scope and limitations of Lok Adalat jurisdiction.
The event proved to be an engaging and insightful platform fostering awareness, vigilance and better implementation of the Lok Adalat mechanism within the justice delivery system.
