Lawyers practising in Delhi's trial court have rejected the Bar Council of India's (BCI) call for suspension of the strike scheduled to start from Monday and said that their agitation will go ahead as planned.
In a statement issued on Saturday evening, the Co-ordination Committee All District Courts Bar Associations of Delhi said that they stand by their demand that police personnel must appear physically in courts for the purpose of deposition/evidence.
The indefinite strike will continue from September 8 in a more intensified manner, the laywers' group said.
"It has been unanimously resolved that if, our above-mentioned genuine demand that all the police officials have to appear physically before the court for deposition/ evidence which is in the benefit of public at large for the purpose of fair and free trial, is not acceded to, we shall continue with our call for indefinite abstention from work w.e.f. 08.09.2025 and the same shall be in more intensified manner," the statement read.
Earlier in the day, the Bar Council of India (BCI) had written to the lawyers' body, urging them to defer or recall the indefinite strike and attend a joint meeting with the BCI and the Bar Council of Delhi (BCD) on September 8.
BCI Chairman Manan Kumar Mishra had reasoned that the fresh notification issued by the Delhi Police Commissioner on September 4 makes it clear that only formal police witnesses may be examined through video conference, while material police witnesses may appear in person.
"Our plain & simple submission is that repeated abstentions from work are causing grave hardship to litigants, including under-trial prisoners and victims of crime, and also to those advocates who are eager to discharge their professional duties in Delhi Courts," the BCI had said.
Lawyers practising in Delhi's trial court have been protesting the Delhi Police's decision to designate all police stations in the National Capital Territory as “places for the purpose of presenting evidence and deposing before courts through video conferencing by police personnel only.”
The notification was issued on August 13, and the lawyers abstained from work between August 22 and August 28.
The strike was suspended after the Delhi Police withdrew the notification and Home Minister Amit Shah agreed to meet the agitating lawyers.
However, on September 4, the Delhi Police issued the notice again, allowing formal police witnesses to be examined through video conferencing. The notification further said that if the defence requested the physical presence of a police witness, the presiding judge could consider it on the merits and allow the examination in physical mode.
[Read circular]