As per Section 21 of the Legal Services Authorities Act, 1987, an award passed by a Lok Adalat is deemed to be equivalent to which of the following?

The Legal Services Authorities Act, 1987 was enacted to give statutory effect to Article 39-A of the Constitution, which mandates free legal aid and equal justice for economically weaker sections, and it became fully enforceable from 9th November 1995. Section 21 gives Lok Adalat awards significant legal weight by deeming every award to be a decree of a civil court, or an order of any other court where relevant, making it directly executable without needing a fresh decree. Crucially, this section also declares that every such award is final and binding on all parties to the dispute, and explicitly bars any appeal against it in any court. The Supreme Court has clarified that this deeming provision applies uniformly regardless of whether the original reference to the Lok Adalat came from a civil court, criminal court, tribunal, or forums like the Motor Accident Claims Tribunal. This finality provision is a defining feature that distinguishes Lok Adalats from ordinary litigation, since it encourages amicable, quick settlements while ensuring parties cannot reopen matters already compromised before the Lok Adalat.