Delhi High Court Bar Association Objects To Decision Mandating Working Saturdays, Cites Lack Of Consultation With Bar

The Delhi High Court Bar Association (DHCBA) has expressed concern over the decision that every Bench of the Delhi High Court will observe one working Saturday every month in 2025.

On October 17, a representation was written by DHCBA, signed by its President, Senior Advocate N Hariharan.

The letter states that while the Delhi High Court Bar Association holds the highest regard for the decisions of the Full Court and fully supports all its initiatives, the Bar was neither consulted nor informed before such a decision was taken.

“Since the functioning of Courts necessarily involves the active participation of Advocates, the absence of any consultation with the Bar has caused genuine hardship and a sense of exclusion,” the letter states.

It adds that, as per the fresh arrangement, members of the Bar would be required to be available every Saturday for the Benches that may sit on different dates.

As per the lawyers' body, such a move effectively results in lawyers being required to work on all Saturdays, without any uniformity and predictability.

The DHCBA says that the situation would lead to practical inconvenience and considerable difficulty for lawyers and will disrupt work-life balance and impose disproportionate burdens on the members of the Bar.

“In light of the above, it is requested that the said notification be kept in abeyance. Alternatively, the sittings may be held on one fixed Saturday for all Benches to facilitate convenience and predictability,” the representation states.