#Lok Adalat compromise

A compromise recorded in Lok Adalat that fails to specify whether acquired land is irrigated or dry does not preclude a subsequent challenge to the classification under the Land Acquisition Act. This ruling protects landowners’ right to accurate compensation by ensuring that procedural settlements cannot silently extinguish substantive rights tied to land type, impacting hundreds of pending acquisition cases across Maharashtra.

The Karnataka High Court has affirmed that once a compromise is recorded by a Lok Adalat, its validity cannot be challenged in judicial review proceedings, reinforcing the finality of such awards as statutory decrees. This shields parties from re-litigation and strengthens the credibility of alternative dispute resolution as a binding, court-endorsed mechanism for civil settlements.