Lawyers' agitation is about being heard, not confrontation: DHCBA President N Hariharan

Delhi High Court Bar Association (DHCBA) President and Senior Advocate N Hariharan has said that the Bar’s agitation against the proposed increase in the pecuniary jurisdiction of Delhi’s district courts was aimed at ensuring that lawyers were heard before a decision was taken.

Addressing the Intellectual Property (IP) Bar, who were protesting till Thursday, Hariharan said that the DHCBA recognised the impact of inflation and the accumulation of cases before the Delhi High Court’s Original Side. He acknowledged that some cases may consequently have to be transferred to the district courts.

However, he urged the authorities to adopt a reasonable approach and consider the concerns raised by the Bar.

He said that the criminal Bar had stood “like a rock” with lawyers opposing the proposed pecuniary jurisdiction hike and stressed that unity was essential for their concerns to be heard.

“All I am asking is reasonableness. All I am asking is that hear our voice. Look into the reasons which we are giving and then if you aren't convinced, that's a different issue. But then at least we have a right to be heard,” he said.

The DHCBA had called for abstention from work over the proposal to enhance the pecuniary jurisdiction of Delhi’s district courts from ₹2 crore to ₹10 crore. The Association has expressed concern that such an increase would substantially reduce the number of civil suits instituted before the High Court’s Original Side and adversely affect its members.

Hariharan told the gathering that the agitation should not be viewed merely as confrontation. Rather, it was intended to draw attention to the importance of preserving the High Court’s Original Side and the legal practice developed around it.

Hariharan told the gathering that the agitation should not be viewed merely as confrontation. Rather, it was intended to draw attention to the importance of preserving the High Court’s Original Side and the legal practice developed around it.

“Confrontation is not [for the sake of] confrontation. It is a way of drawing attention and saying, you need to pay attention to this as well. This happens to be a jewel in our crown,” he said.

Hariharan concluded by urging lawyers to stand together for their own professional interests.

“It's your cause, stand up for your cause. United, we have a voice,” he said.

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