People get so fed up with judicial process that they just want settlement: CJI

Supreme Court judge Justice BV Nagarathna during the week-long special Lok Adalat, in New Delhi. FILE PIC/PTI

People get "so fed up" with the matters of courts that they just want a settlement, Chief Justice of India D Y Chandrachud said on Saturday while highlighting the role of Lok Adalats as alternative dispute redressal mechanisms. Lok Adalats are forums where disputes and cases pending in courts or at pre-litigation stage are settled or compromised amicably. No appeal against the mutually accepted settlement can be filed.

"Log itna trast ho jate hain court ke mamlon se wo koi bhi settlement chahte hain... Bas court se dur kara dijiye (People are so fed up with the matters of the court that they just want a settlement). This process is the punishment and that is a cause of concern for all of us as judges," Chandrachud said at the commemoration of the special Lok Adalat week at the Supreme Court.

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The CJI said he got tremendous support and cooperation from everyone including the Bar and the Bench in setting up of Lok Adalat at every stage. Chandrachud said when the panels for the Lok Adalat were constituted, it was ensured that every panel would consist of two judges and two members of the Bar. "The purpose behind doing this was to give ownership to the advocates over the institution because this is not an institution which is only run by the judges, and this is not the institution of the judges, for the judges, by the judges," he said.

"There is so much that we learn from each other. We learnt from the advocates about how much command they have over little procedural issues," the CJI said. The CJI said the special Lok Adalat began with seven benches initially as "we were sceptical if we would be successful". "By Thursday we had 13 benches and there was so much work," he said.

"Purpose of Lok Adalat has been to take justice to the homes of people and ensure people that we are constant presence in their lives," Chandrachud said. The week-long special Lok Adalat, celebrating 75 years of the SC, began with the aim to "facilitate amicable settlements of suitable pending cases", in matters that have "elements of settlement".

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