Jahanvi Agarwal
Chief Justice of India DY Chandrachud led a unique session of the Lok Adalat today, sharing the bench with Supreme Court Senior Advocate Kapil Sibal, marking a rare event at the court. Alongside them were Justice JB Pardiwala, Justice Manoj Mishra, and Vipin Nair, President of the Supreme Court Advocate On Record Association (SCAORA)A. The Lok Adalat sessions, held between July 29 and August 2, commence at 2 PM after regular court proceedings.
Chief Justice Chandrachud reminisced about a notable case where a husband had initiated divorce proceedings at Patiala House Court, while his wife had filed for maintenance and custody of their children. During a pre-Lok Adalat session, the couple resolved their differences and decided to reunite. When they appeared before the Lok Adalat, the Chief Justice asked about their decision, to which they replied that they had chosen to live together happily. The wife mentioned, “I do not want maintenance because we are living together very happily.”
Highlighting the purpose of Lok Adalat, the Chief Justice said, “The idea is to settle small cases efficiently.” He pointed out the sizeable number of minor cases that reach the Supreme Court, adding, “People do not realize how many small cases come to the Supreme Court.” The Chief Justice highlighted the collaborative spirit of the Lok Adalat, saying, “The presence of bar members as part of the Lok Adalat panel along with judges has given the right message to the entire society that we are united in our efforts to do justice, especially to the citizens involved in these small cases.” He expressed hope that Lok Adalat would become a permanent fixture in the Supreme Court.
Adv. Sibal shared his unique experience, “For the first time, I was not on the side of the bar but on the side of the bench. It is a matter of luck that he got a chance to share the bench with judges like this.” He praised the Supreme Court’s initiative, adding, “The move of setting up Lok Adalat is a great step by the Supreme Court.”
In courtroom 2, Justice Sanjiv Khanna and Justice KV Vishwanathan were joined by SCBA Vice President Rachna Shrivastava and SCAORA Vice President Amit Sharma. SCBA General Secretary Vikrant Yadav and SCAORA Secretary Nikhil Jain participated in Courtroom 3 with Justice BR Gavai and Justice MM Sundresh. Justice Suryakant and Justice Ujjal Bhuiyan were accompanied by Senior Advocate VV Giri and advocate K Parameshwar in Courtroom 4, while Justice Hrishikesh Roy and Justice PS Narasimha presided in Courtroom 5.
Senior Advocate PS Patwalia and Advocate Shadan Farasat joined the bench in Courtroom 6 with Justice Abhay S Oak and Justice Dipankar Dutta, while Justice Vikram Nath and Justice PB Varale were joined by Senior Advocate Madhavi Divan and Advocate Balaji Srinivasan in Courtroom 7.
SCAORA Secretary Nikhil Jain lauded the initiative, stating, “This is a historic step taken by Chief Justice Chandrachud which will greatly benefit the common people.”