The Supreme Court on Friday commenced its three-day ‘Samadhan Samaroh’ Special Lok Adalat, an initiative aimed at facilitating the amicable resolution of pending cases through mediation and other consent-based mechanisms. The exercise will be conducted on August 21, 22 and 23.
‘Samadhan Samaroh’ stands for “Supreme Court Action for Mediated Adjudication and Disputes Harmonization Across Nation.” The initiative was launched on April 21, 2026, and has culminated in the Special Lok Adalat being held at the Supreme Court. It seeks to advance the Court’s vision of participative justice and the delivery of justice at the doorstep.
The Special Lok Adalat is focused exclusively on settlements reached with the consent of the parties, with emphasis on mutually acceptable resolutions rather than adversarial adjudication.
The matters identified for settlement include banking disputes, civil cases, compensation and MACT matters, consumer and RERA disputes, cases under the Negotiable Instruments Act, family disputes, labour and industrial disputes, land acquisition matters, property tax, rent and eviction disputes, service matters, transfer petitions, and direct and indirect taxation cases.
The Supreme Court had identified approximately 45,000 cases as potentially suitable for settlement under the initiative and called upon lawyers to actively identify matters that could be resolved through mediation or Lok Adalat mechanisms.
Chief Justice Surya Kant has said that the initiative seeks to alleviate the stress and uncertainty faced by litigants due to prolonged judicial proceedings and ensure that settlements result in both parties feeling that they have achieved a satisfactory outcome.
Justice P.S. Narasimha, while speaking about the initiative, highlighted the issue of mounting pendency and stressed the need for mechanisms through which disputes could be resolved more easily and comfortably, without excessive technical procedures. He described mediation as a more enduring form of dispute resolution compared to a conventional judicial determination.
The Supreme Court has made dedicated arrangements for the Special Lok Adalat, including designated benches and support mechanisms. A One Stop Centre/War Room has also been established to assist litigants and advocates participating in the three-day exercise.
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