Delhi HC lawyers boycott work over district courts’ jurisdiction hike proposal

Lawyers at the Delhi High Court abstained from work to protest a proposal increasing district courts’ pecuniary jurisdiction from Rs 2 crore to Rs 20 crore. The strike disrupted hearings, while district bar associations backed the move, saying it would reduce pendency and improve access to justice

New Delhi: Delhi High Court lawyers on Monday abstained from work to oppose a proposed enhancement of the pecuniary jurisdiction of district courts. With lawyers choosing not to appear before the judges, hearings in most cases listed in the high court were disrupted.

The Delhi High Court Bar Association (DHCBA) had on May 23 urged its members to abstain from work on May 25 following the high court administration’s move to look into the long-pending demand of the Coordination Committee of All District Court Bar Associations of Delhi to raise the pecuniary limit (financial limit) of the district courts from Rs 2 crore to Rs 20 crore.

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According to the district court bar associations, increasing the pecuniary jurisdiction of civil courts serves the larger interest of the citizens of Delhi and ensures speedy justice. The DHCBA has, however, asserted that the high court has no power to bring such a change, as it falls within the domain of the legislature.

The district court bar associations earlier “strongly condemned and opposed” the DHCBA’s “call for strike in opposition to the legitimate and long-pending demand for enhancement of the pecuniary jurisdiction (financial limit) of the district courts from the existing limit of Rs 2 crore to 20 crore”.
It said, “The demand raised by the coordination committee cannot be termed as ‘unfair’ or ‘unjust’ merely because it may affect the professional interests of a particular section of advocates.”