Delhi HC frowns on lawyers’ abstention over pecuniary jurisdiction row

New Delhi: A Delhi High Court judge on Monday disapproved of the Delhi High Court Bar Association's (DHCBA) decision to abstain from work, observing that such actions ultimately harm litigants.

Justice Purushaindra Kumar Kaurav, while addressing a proxy counsel appearing before him, questioned how lawyers "could abstain from work" and orally remarked that advocates "have to work for litigants", who bear the brunt of such boycotts.

The judge said that if the bar had grievances, these should be raised "at an appropriate forum by an appropriate mechanism" instead of resorting to strikes.

High court lawyers abstained from work on Monday to protest a proposed enhancement of the pecuniary jurisdiction of district courts. As a result, hearings in most cases listed before the high court were disrupted due to the absence of counsel.

DHCBA had last week called for the abstention following a move by the high court administration to examine a long-pending demand by the Coordination Committee of All District Court Bar Associations of Delhi to raise the pecuniary jurisdiction of district courts from Rs 2 crore to Rs 20 crore.

District court bar associations have argued that increasing the pecuniary limit would serve the larger public interest and help ensure speedy justice. DHCBA, however, has maintained that the high court lacks the authority to implement such a change, asserting that the matter falls within the legislature's domain.

Earlier, district court bar associations strongly condemned the DHCBA's call for a strike, terming it opposition to a legitimate and long-pending demand.