Delhi HC constitutes ad hoc committee for urgent disbursal of Advocates’ Welfare Funds

The Delhi High Court recently directed an ad hoc committee to be constituted for the disbursal of funds under the Advocates’ Welfare Fund in urgent matters..The committee will comprise Additional Solicitor General Maninder Singh, who is the ex officio Chairman of the Bar Council of Delhi and Advocates Ved Prakash Sharma and Surya Prakash Khatri, both nominated by the Bar Council under Section 4(3)(f) of the Advocates’ Welfare Fund Act, 2001..The Court had, on Nov 19, 2015, stayed the operation of the Advocates’ Welfare Fund and had even ordered the constitution of a Trustee Committee, which has not been notified as yet..The ad hoc committee was directed to be formed after a plea was filed for the release of funds to a petitioner who is stated to have been suffering for cancer..The Single Judge Bench of Justice Vibhu Bakhru observed,.“A bare reading of the pleadings of that petition indicates that the petitioner may be in immediate need of funds. There may be other such cases which require urgent assistance but have not approached the court as yet…….In the circumstances, it is necessary to modify the order dated 19.11.2015 to the limited extent of permitting certain extreme cases to be dealt with urgently.” .Read the order: