Right to speedy justice is a fundamental right implicit in the protection of life and personal liberty enshrined in Article 21 of the constitution. The fact that the traditional courts in our country often get bogged down by procedural delays, and an ever-increasing backlog of cases cannot be concealed. Lok Adalat, in its pursuit of delivering speedy justice, stands out as a more efficient alternative to conventional court proceedings.
‘Lok Adalat’ means the people’s court and is based on Gandhian principles. It is a system of alternative dispute resolution which delivers informal, cheap and expeditious justice to the common people. It was granted statutory status and legally recognized under the Legal Services Authorities Act of 1987, which outlined the framework and operations of the Lok Adalats.
With the intention of ensuring prompt justice to the general public and to proclaim Vilappil Panchayat as conflict free, Thiruvananthapuram District Legal Service Authority [TDLSA], Vilappil Grama Panchayat and the Legal Aid clinic of Government Law College, Thiruvananthapuram joined forces to organise a special Adalat. The program was hosted by Government Law College, Thiruvananthapuram on the 27th of October 2023. It was carried out in association with “the Oppam” project orchestrated for the upliftment of women, a visionary undertaking of respected Kattakkada MLA I.B Satish.
The event commenced at 9:00 am on 27th October. The event notably featured a significant number of dignitaries on the dais, including Principal I/C Meenakumary, MLA I.B Satish, District judge M.M Basheer, Sub judge S Shamnad, Vilappil panchayat president Lily Mohan, ward member [Peyad] M.C Suresh, Ward member [Padavancode] P Suresh, Asst. Prof. Saleena U, coordinators [legal aid clinic] Deepthi Soman, Asst. Prof. Government law college, Thiruvananthapuram and Dr. Hameema M, Asst. Prof. Government Law College Thiruvananthapuram.
This event serves as evidence of the proactive nature of the students of this college who actively took part in the organization as well as the proceedings of the event. Different arrays of cases were dealt with at the Lok Adalat including civil conflicts, complaints regarding panchayat, private conflicts etc. These pre-litigation cases were identified through a legal aid survey carried out in the wards on 14th and 16th of October with the assistance of Government Law College, Thiruvananthapuram.
The cases were tackled by professors as well as students along with judicial officers. The event indeed turned out to be a huge success leading to the resolution of numerous conflicts and benefiting a significant number of people. It also proved advantageous for the students, as it allowed them to actively engage in the resolution process and gain practical insights into the functioning of Lok Adalats.
