1st National Lok Adalat Of 2026 Resolves 2.84 Crore Cases With Settlement Value Of ₹10,920.47 Crore

The 1st National Lok Adalat of 2026, held on March 14, concluded with the resolution of 2,84,14,329 cases, including 2,57,82,254 pre-litigation matters and 26,32,075 pending cases, with a combined settlement value of ₹10,920.47 crore.The Lok Adalat was organised under the leadership of Justice Surya Kant, Chief Justice of India and Patron-in-Chief of the National Legal Services Authority (NALSA), and Justice Vikram Nath, Judge of the Supreme Court of India and Executive Chairman of NALSA. It was conducted simultaneously across 26 States and 8 Union Territories at thousands of benches constituted across High Courts, District Courts, Tribunals, Consumer Forums and Permanent Lok Adalats across the country.While the National Lok Adalat was held nationwide on March 14, the sitting in Delhi will be conducted on March 22, Telangana on March 28, and West Bengal on a date to be notified subsequently.Ahead of the Lok Adalat, Justice Vikram Nath remarked on the distinctive nature of the forum, stating:“Lok Adalat is unique in the world of justice. It does not produce winners and losers. It produces resolution. It produces peace. And in doing so, it restores something far more valuable than a verdict. It restores trust.”The Lok Adalat took up a wide range of civil and criminal compoundable matters, including plea bargaining cases, revenue matters, bank recovery and cheque dishonour cases, service and pension disputes, motor accident claims, compoundable traffic challans, matrimonial disputes (excluding divorce), succession matters, land acquisition cases, labour disputes, arbitration matters, consumer matters, and electricity, water and telephone bill disputes.Special focus was also placed on cases reflected in the National Judicial Data Grid (NJDG), as part of efforts to reduce pendency across the judicial system.The National Lok Adalat forms part of NALSA's broader mandate, which includes free legal aid, legal literacy programmes, victim compensation, mediation, and the work of Para Legal Volunteers who facilitate awareness of legal rights at the grassroots level.Awards passed by Lok Adalats are final and binding, and parties are entitled to a refund of court fees, enabling quicker and more accessible dispute resolution.

1st National Lok Adalat Of 2026 Resolves 2.84 Crore Cases With Settlement Value Of ₹10,920.47 Crore

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