Delhi High Court Reschedules Date Of Elections To All Bar Associations To February 28

The Delhi High Court has rescheduled the date of elections to all Bar Associations in the national capital from February 07 to February 28, 2025.

A full bench comprising Justice Yashwant Varma, Justice Rekha Palli and Justice C Hari Shankar noted that in a resolution passed by the High Court's Security Committee last year, it was resolved that all the Election Commissioners, Returning Officers together with the Presidents or Secretaries of all the Bar Associations would make necessary arrangements for procurement of EVMs or Ballot Papers and will coordinate for setting up card reader machines and other equipments well in time.

“We, consequently, direct those Commissioners, Officers and Office Bearers of all the Bar Associations to proceed in the aforesaid light. The elections shall now stand rescheduled to be held on 28 February 2025,” the Court said.

This was after an application was moved before the full bench in light of an order passed by the Supreme Court on December 19, 2024.

Vide the said order, the Apex Court had directed reservation of 3 posts for women lawyers in the Delhi High Court Bar Association elections. Further, in the district bar associations, the Court had directed that the post of Treasurer plus 30% of other Executive Committee posts shall stand reserved for women lawyers, including those already reserved for women.

In view of the same, the full bench observed that the posts in the upcoming elections of the bar bodies would have to be earmarked and stand reserved.

“We further direct that the Scrutiny Committee which is presently seized of the Level 2 inquiry shall mandate that the last date for submission of objections in respect shall be 21 January 2025. No objections thereafter shall be entertained,” it said while disposing of the application.

In March last year, the full bench had held that elections to the Executive Committee of all the bar associations in Delhi shall be held simultaneously on the same day for a uniform period of two years. For this year, it was ordered to be held on October 19.After the matter was adjourned by the full bench to November 27, two SLPs were filed by women lawyers, Aditi Chaudhary and Shobha Gupta, seeking reservation for women advocates in the ensuing bar elections.

Later, the elections were postponed by the Court to December 13.

Title: LALIT SHARMA AND ORS v. UNION OF INDIA AND ORS.

Citation: 2025 LiveLaw (Del) 123

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