Lok Adalats: Promoting Access to Justice in Rural India
- Kriti Bhatia
- 2 days ago
- 7 min read
Authored by - Kriti Bhatia (Student, Rajiv Gandhi National University of Law)
India's judiciary system is riddled with delays. The country has over 50 million cases that are still pending in courts, and the waiting times have been increasing for 2025.[1] The worst part of this situation is the impact on people from rural areas. Villagers have to go on long journeys just to get their rights. At the same time, they do not have money to hire lawyers. Lok Adalats come to the rescue. These are all different platforms that focus on quick settlements. They are derived from old village talks. The Legal Services Authorities Act 1987 makes them mandatory.[2] Decisions taken in these bodies are considered to be of the same nature as court decrees. There are no petitions.[3]This paper concentrates on the rural area of India and the work of Lok Adalats there. It reveals their work, benefits, and drawbacks. The article finishes by listing ideas that would help them realize their full potential.
The first Loks Adalats were established as a people's court system. The expression is Gujarati for "people's court."[4] An act provides for their installation at national, state, and district levels.[5] They are served by civil, criminal, and family courts. Compoundable cases are the most appropriate. In the villages, they settle disputes over land, debt cases, and small crimes.[6] In the period from 2022 to 2025, they have resolved 23.58 crore cases all over India.[7] Increasing rural parts. More than 5 crore cases were settled at village camps in 2024-2025.[8] The Supreme Court endorses this, P.T. Thomas v. Thomas Job referred Lok Adalats as a tool of fast justice.[9] The extent of National events like the September 2025 Lok Adalat reach is shown by them. It was aimed at getting rid of backlogs in hard-to-reach areas.[10] These panels bring the judiciary to the people.
The Process of Lok Adalats in Rural Settings
These steps make the job easier. A camp is arranged by a legal aid agency or a court. It culls cases from the lists. Parties get notices. On the day, benches are present. Retired judges or lawyers head them.[11] Discussions take place in person. Parties present their sides. The bench propose the fair terms. If all is agreed upon, an award is drafted. It puts an end to the fight.[12]
Camps are organized in villages in rural India. That saves the distance to be covered. For example, in the 2024 Bihar drives, the units on wheels covered 500 villages.[13] The sessions are of one day. The 2023 Mediation Act stipulates for digital Lok Adalats.[14] In 2025, rural users invite themselves in from their phones via apps.[15] First, there is screening, benches assess whether cases are fit. Non-compoundable crimes are excluded.[16] Awards are implemented swiftly. Courts treat them as decrees.[17]That's an illustration of it. The court upheld a land award in State of Punjab v. Jalour Singh. It pointed to the importance of consent.[18] It is good to focus on the countryside. NALSA trains the grassroots volunteers. They provide the understanding of rights in the local tongues.[19] Camp are mostly also with gram sabhas. This is a combination of custom and law.[20]
Key Benefits for Rural Access to Justice
Lok Adalats are the real heroes for the villages. They bring the whole process closer to the people. While courts take years to give their verdicts, Lok Adalats do it in a matter of hours[21]. A staggering 80 percent of cases in Rajasthan's 2025 camps were closed on the very day they were brought forth[22]. Similarly, costs are lowered as well. There are no charges, and legal aid takes care of everything[23]. This is what helps the poor farmers. In a debt case in Uttar Pradesh that involved a family going to court for their house, the family ended up saving their home through a quick settlement[24]. Furthermore, bonds are maintained. Peace is the central theme of the awards, not winner-loser.
Several studies have found that there is a decrease in the number of repeat fights.[25] Besides that, the children also get the care they deserve. Family matters are settled with the focus on the children's needs[26].
The reach is extremely broad as well. More rural women are getting involved. The number of female cases increased by 30 percent in 2024[27]. The use of digital tools has made it possible to bridge the gaps. The apps are there to send alerts to the most distant places[28]. The backlogs are coming down. The NJDG data is indicative of a 15 percent decrease in rural pendency after 2023[29].
On top of that, the culture is fitting perfectly. The village elders are there to provide their wisdom. This is what is keeping the tradition of the panchayat alive.
The gains are so close to people's lives. Maintenance was provided to a widow from Madhya Pradesh very quickly. She was able to avoid going on a long trip[30]. More than 60 percent of rural users consider it to be average[31]. All of these points present the Lok Adalats as a bridge that transforms law from being a distant dream into a nearby aid.
Challenges in Rural Implementation
There are some issues that prevent the full utilization of these facilities. Awareness of the facilities remains at a very low level. Many villagers have very little knowledge about them. In Odisha, only 40 percent of the people were aware of the camps according to the 2025 surveys[32]. The distance to the far villages is still a problem. Some bad roads are blocking people. There are still some gaps in the supply of electricity. Landlords manipulate the poor parties[33].
Sometimes, people feel that consent is forced. Awards do not have any mechanisms for review[34]. Bar Council of India v. Union of India: The court observed the need for training[35]. There is a shortage of staff in the rural areas. Few benches cover large areas. The rural areas are getting left behind when it comes to technology. Some villages in the interior do not have phones[36]. Follow-up is not there for some awards that are ignored later.[37] There has been a rise in the clash of customs. Old biases have crept into the talks. Women encounter shame in public camps[38]. Solutions require a push. More drives and training can be helpful[39]. However, the core is working. It is aiming for fair ends.
Conclusion
Lok Adalats provide the necessary legal accessibility to the rural population of India. The 1987 Act laid down a very effective foundation for this. The method is speedy and it happens at the grassroots level. The advantages essentially lessen the times and the expenses. More than 230 million settlement transactions stand as a testament to their strength[40]. Challenges such as the existence of less spoken words have been identified. However, the steps taken are very encouraging. India must not remain passive. Locals need to be trained. The digital presence has to be extended widely. Camps must be run throughout the year in collaboration with Nyaya Panchayats.
The 2025 National Lok Adalat is a way forward[41]. Consent should always be kept intact. Women benches may be introduced[42]. In fact, Lok Adalats reconcile differences. They render the system of justice accessible to a village. If handled well, they can be found in every nook and cranny. This is how a just country is formed where everyone has rights.
[1]Nat'l Judicial Data Grid, Pending Cases Dashboard (last updated Nov. 2025), National Judicial Data Grid.
[2] Legal Servs. Authorities Act, No. 39, Acts of Parliament, 1987 (India), htId. § 21.tps://nalsa.gov.in/acts-rules/legal-services-authorities-act-1987.
[3] Id. § 21.
[4] Nat'l Legal Servs. Auth. (NALSA), Lok Adalats Overview, https://nalsa.gov.in/lok-adalats/
[5] Legal Servs. Authorities Act § 19.
[6] Id. § 19(5).
[7] Press Info. Bureau, Nat'l Legal Servs. Day: Key Achievements 2022-2025 (Nov. 8, 2025), National Legal Services Day.
[8] Id.
[9] P.T. Thomas v. Thomas Job, (2005) 6 S.C.C. 478, 482 (India).
[10] Hindustan Times, Nat'l Lok Adalat 2025: Dates, Agenda and What It Means for Citizens (Sept. 8, 2025), https://www.hindustantimes.com/india-news/national-lok-adalat-2025-dates-agenda-and-what-it-means-for-citizens-101757320625544.html.
[11] NALSA, supra note 4.
[12] Legal Servs. Authorities Act § 20.
[13] Sunil Chauhan, Grassroots Legal Aid in India: Challenges and Lessons 7 (June 11, 2025), Grassroots Legal Aid in India: Challenges and Lessons.
[14] Mediation Act, No. 32, Acts of Parliament, 2023 (India).
[15] Law Journal, Digital Transformation of Lok Adalats: Addressing Justice Delays 3 (2025), Digital transformation of Lok Adalats: Addressing justice delays through innovation.
[16] Legal Servs. Authorities Act § 19(6).
[17] Id. § 21(2).
[18] State of Punjab v. Jalour Singh, (2008) 2 S.C.C. 660, 665 (India).
[19] NALSA, Annual Report 2023-24 22 (2024), Annual Reports | NATIONAL LEGAL SERVICES AUTHORITY (NALSA) | India.
[20] Int'l J. Creative Rsch. Thoughts, Strengthening Legal Aid and Access to Justice in Rural India 5 (Feb. 2, 2025), Strengthening Legal Aid and Access to Justice in Rural India: A Roadmap for Viksit Bharat 2047 .
[21] ResearchGate, Mediation and Lok Adalat: An Examination of Challenges and Issues 4 (Sept. 29, 2025), (PDF) MEDIATION AND LOK ADALAT: AN EXAMINATION OF CHALLENGES AND ISSUES.
[22] Id. at 5.
[23] Legal Servs. Authorities Act § 12.
[24] Chauhan, supra note 13, at 8.
[25] Id. at 11.
[26] Id. at 12.
[27] Press Info. Bureau, supra note 7.
[28] Law Journal, supra note 15, at 4.
[29] Nat'l Judicial Data Grid, supra note 1.
[30] Chauhan, supra note 13, at 9.
[31] ResearchGate, supra note 21, at 6.
[32] Id. at 8.
[33] Id. at 14.
[34] Legal Servs. Authorities Act § 21(3).
[35] Bar Council of India v. Union of India, (2017) 15 S.C.C. 1, 10 (India).
[36] J. Indian Econ. Rsch., A Critical Analysis of Online Dispute Resolution in India 5 (2025), A Critical Analysis of Online Dispute Resolution in India: Justice in the Digital Age.
[37] ResearchGate, supra note 21, at 9.
[38] Id. at 17.
[39] Int'l J. Rsch. Pub. & Revs., Comparative Analysis of Mediation Frameworks 8 (2025), Comparative Analysis of Mediation Frameworks: India, Singapore, and the United Kingdom..
[40] Press Info. Bureau, supra note 7.
[41] Hindustan Times, supra note 10.
[42] HILSR L. Rev., supra note 25, at 18.
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