AWARD PASSED BY THE LOK ADALAT CAN'T BE CITED AS A PRECEDENT TO CLAIM SIMILAR RELIEF

In an important decision the Supreme court has ruled that the Lok Adalats are not courts as they do not resort to judicial adjudication in resolving disputes so there settlement can not be cited as a precedent before a court of law to claim similar relief by the others who were not party to the compromise before the Lok Adalat . The bench of justices KM  Joseph and PS Narasimha framed the question" Whether the award passed by a Lok Adalat under section 20 of the legal services authorities Act 1987 can form the basis of redeterminitaion of compensation as contemplated under section 28 A of the Land Acquisition Act 1894 ,by the impugned judgement " and disagreed with the High court view by stating that Lok Adalats do not employ any judicial scrutiny under the legal services act only encourage the parties to settle amicably . The Lok Adalat under section 20 is to facilitate a settlement of disputes between the parties in a case , it has no adjudicatory role so the award  that is passed by the Lok Adalat can not be said to be an award passed under the Land Acquisition Act .It is the compromise hence we declare that an application under section 28  A of the Land Acquisition Act can not be maintained on the basis of an award passed by the Lok Adalat under section 20 of the Legal services Authorities Act