Alternative Dispute Redressal (ADR), which refers to the process of dispute resolution, denotes the idea of making the system of delivering justice friendly to the disputed parties and ensuring quick resolution of the disputed cases. As ADR is now a widely accepted process in a number of disputed contexts, it is compelling the policymakers to introduce it in other viable sectors. Criminal cases relating to petty offences can be considered as one such area. The criminal justice system emphasizes the role of the state in resolving offences to ensure peace and to protect the life and property of its subjects. However, it should be noted that many offences do not fall under the category of crimes affecting the state, but affecting only a particular individual or a group of individuals. In such cases, ADR can act as a viable option for resolving disputes between the victim and the offender. This article advocates that, when applied to criminal justice system, ADR would make it work more efficiently.

The nomenclature `Alternative Dispute Redressal' (hereinafter ADR), refers to dispute resolution processes and techniques that fall outside the traditional judicial process, i.e., it denotes informal dispute resolution processes in which contesting parties meet with a professional third party who helps them resolve their dispute in a way that is less formal and often more consensual than is done in the courts. This newer fashion of resolving dispute between contesting parties is devoid of doctrinaire requirement of procedural laws. The underlying idea is to make the justice delivery system friendly to contesting parties and to quickly resolve the disputes. The legitimacy of this method lies in its adherence to principles of natural justice. Principles of natural justice ordain respect to voice of litigating parties. In ADR, the litigating parties submit voluntarily to the mutually agreed redressal of the dispute.

Historically, ADR has been considered to be an alternative to the litigating way of adjudication. Since times immemorial, alternative dispute resolution techniques have been practiced in India in varying forms, e.g., `Caste Panchayats', `Village Panchayats', `Nyaya Panchayats' and `Lok Adalats'. It has been observed that, like the Zero, the concept of `Lok Adalats' (Peoples' Court) has been India's incredible contribution to world jurisprudence. The aim of this paper is to put it straight, as to how an effective reemergence of these processes, along with the other similar international best practices, has become essential due to the current scenario of the criminal justice system. The delay in disposal of criminal cases, including petty matter, has been causing great damage to the justice delivery system. The web of criminal matters generally traps common man into its net, as a result of which the faith of the common man is continuously eroding in the criminal justice system.