Patna Legal Services Committee Reconstituted

The Patna Legal Services Committee was reconstituted on October 6, 2023, under the chairmanship of Justice Vipul M. Pancholi from the Patna High Court. 

About Patna Legal Services Committee 

The committee consists of eight members, three of whom are non-ex officio members, including Acharya Kishore Kunal, social worker Sudha Varghese, and retired district judge Om Prakash. They were nominated by the Chief Justice of Patna High Court. 

The other three members are ex-officio members, including the Advocate General, Patna High Court Advocate Association President Shailendra Kumar Singh, and Patna High Court Bar Association President Sanjay Singh. All members, including the Chairman and Member Secretary, will serve for a total of two years.

Functions of Patna Legal Services Committee 

• The committee's main objective is to prepare a panel of advocates from the Patna High Court. These advocates provide their services free to those who cannot afford legal battles due to poverty.
• The Patna Legal Services Committee aims to implement the policies and directives of the State Authority and provide legal services to eligible individuals under the Legal Services Authorities Act 1987. 
• They also conduct Lok Adalats for cases pending in the High Court and promote dispute settlement through negotiation, arbitration, conciliation, and mediation between parties.

About Lok Adalats

• Lok Adalat is an alternative dispute resolution mechanism where disputes and cases pending in the court of law or at the pre-litigation stage are resolved amicably through compromise. 
• The Legal Services Authorities Act 1987 has given Lok Adalats a statutory status. 
• As per this act, the decision made by Lok Adalat is final and binding and considered a decree of a civil court. 
• There is no provision for an appeal against such a decision. However, suppose the parties are not satisfied with the decision of the Lok Adalat. In case of a dispute, the affected party may choose to file a lawsuit in the appropriate court after following the required procedure.