Provides free legal services to eligible persons and establishes Lok Adalats and Permanent Lok Adalats for settlement of disputes.
Members of SC/ST, victims of trafficking, women, children, persons with disability, victims of mass disaster, industrial workmen, persons in custody and those below the income ceiling are entitled to legal services.
Legal services authorities may organise Lok Adalats with judicial and other members to settle cases pending in or pre-litigation to any court.
A pending case may be referred to a Lok Adalat on the parties' agreement, one party's application, or the court's own motion; the Lok Adalat attempts a compromise.
Every award is deemed a decree of a civil court, is final and binding on all parties, and no appeal lies against it.
Pre-litigation disputes relating to public utility services up to ₹1 crore may be taken up; the PLA may decide the dispute on merits if conciliation fails and the dispute does not relate to an offence.
The text shown is a working summary used inside Nyaya for grounding and UI preview. For verbatim reproduction, refer to the bare Act published on indiacode.nic.in.