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 continue 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 from today. It seeks to advance the Court’s vision of participative justice and doorstep delivery of justice.
The Special Lok Adalat is aimed at resolving matters only through the consent of the parties, with the focus being on mutually acceptable settlements rather than adversarial adjudication. The categories identified include banking disputes, civil cases, compensation and MACT matters, consumer and RERA disputes, Negotiable Instruments Act cases, family disputes, labour and industrial disputes, land acquisition, property tax, rent and eviction matters, service matters, transfer petitions and direct and indirect taxation cases.
The Supreme Court had identified around 45,000 cases as potentially suitable for settlement under the initiative and sought the active participation of lawyers in identifying matters capable of being resolved through mediation or Lok Adalat mechanisms.
Focus is on Both Parties Feeling They Have Won
Chief Justice Surya Kant has said that the initiative seeks to address the stress litigants experience from prolonged judicial proceedings and ensure that settlements leave both sides with a sense of having achieved a satisfactory outcome.
JusticeP.S. Narasimha, speaking about the initiative, identified large pendency as one of the principal concerns and said there was also a need for a method by which disputes could be resolved easily and comfortably, without excessive technical procedure. He described mediation as a more enduring form of dispute resolution than a conventional judicial decision.
The Court has made arrangements for the Special Lok Adalat through dedicated benches and support mechanisms, including a One Stop Centre/War Room to assist litigants and advocates participating in the exercise.