An event organised to launch the official website of the Advocates’ Association, Bengaluru (AAB), on Saturday witnessed differences of opinion between the judges and the president of the AAB on amicable settlement of disputes through the Lok Adalats.
Justice B. Veerappa, a senior judge and the Executive Chairperson of the Karnataka State Legal Services Authority (KSLSA) said that there is resistance from lawyers for settling pre-litigation cases in Lok Adalats while pointing out that the presidents of the AAB, including present president Vivek Subba Reddy, is not supporting settlement of cases in Lok Adalats.
Justice Veerappa said that no lawyers will he affected due to settlement of lakhs of cases in Lok Adalats while seeking cooperation from the advocates for Lok Adalats. However, Mr. Reddy said that Lok Adalats has to be reduced a bit as it is affecting the livelihood of the lawyers.
Meanwhile, Justice Abhay Shreeniwas Oka, a judge of the Supreme Court, said advocates will not be affected by settlement of disputes in Lok Adalats even through their income may be affected to some extent.
“The lawyers are the officers of the court first. I don’t think that the members of the bar would affected by Lok Adalats. What is needed is the change in mindset,” he said while pointing out that lawyers were initially not in favour of weekly Lok Adalats when launched in Maharashtra several years ago.
