You have to work for litigants: Delhi High Court questions advocates' decision to strike

The Delhi High Court on Monday questioned the Delhi High Court Bar Association (DHCBA)‘s decision to go on strike, stating that such a move only affects the litigants. 

The DHCBA is abstaining from work today against a proposal to increase the pecuniary jurisdiction of district courts from ₹2 crore to ₹20 crore. 

When his court assembled, Justice Purushaindra Kumar Kaurav questioned a proxy counsel appearing before him as to what the strike was about. 

The counsel told the Bench that the Bar Association is protesting a proposal to increase the pecuniary jurisdiction of the district courts. 

“How can you abstain from court work? If lawyers don’t appear, who will suffer? You have to work for the litigants. Abstaining from the court is not proper. If you have grievances it has to be put forth at an appropriate forum by an appropriate mechanism,” Justice Kaurav remarked.  

The judge also asked how proxy counsel can appear in matters when they have no instructions. 

“How can you assist without instructions? We are anyway left with a few working days [before vacations],” he added. 

The Coordination Committee of the All District Courts Bar Association of Delhi had in May 2025 had written to the Law Minister Arjun Ram Meghwal and members of Law Commission requesting the enhancement of pecuniary jurisdiction of district courts from ₹2 crore to ₹20 crore. 

A committee of Delhi High Court judges was then constituted to consider the issue and to interact with the stakeholders and make recommendations.

However, the DHCBA has been opposing the move. 

Notably, on January 24, the Registrar General of the High Court wrote to the Coordination Committee of the All District Courts Bar Association, inviting a few representatives to participate in a meeting with the judges’ committee.