Lawyers Urged to Boycott Delhi High Court in Protest
The Delhi High Court Bar Association (DHCBA) president, N Hariharan, has called on lawyers to abstain from court proceedings today. This request comes as a protest against a proposal to raise the pecuniary jurisdiction of Delhi’s district courts. The DHCBA has announced a suspension of work to oppose the Delhi High Court’s administrative decision, which suggests increasing the pecuniary jurisdiction from ₹2 crore to ₹10 crore.
Despite this call to action, some lawyers were present at the High Court. Senior Advocate Hariharan addressed these lawyers during a video conference, emphasizing the potential widespread impact of such administrative decisions. “You think it will not affect the criminal side as well? It will,” he stated. “For God’s sake, when we stand on a cause, please be with us. I request all my members. While I cannot stop the proceedings of the court, I urge you to request adjournments.” Notably, Hariharan appeared without traditional courtroom attire.
Judicial Proceedings and Lawyer Responses
Justice Navin Chawla and Justice Ravinder Dudeja presided over the court, clarifying that they would not compel any lawyer to argue cases. “We are not insisting on anyone to argue,” they reiterated during the proceedings, which included an exchange between Hariharan and a lawyer who decided to leave the hearing in response to the strike appeal.
Concerns Over Pecuniary Jurisdiction Changes
The strike was initiated following an urgent DHCBA meeting, where the executive committee expressed concerns about the proposed changes. They believe that increasing the district courts’ pecuniary jurisdiction could significantly reduce the number of cases heard by the High Court’s original side—by up to 70%, according to their estimates. The DHCBA has urged its members to fully support the work suspension as a collective interest of the Bar.
Previously, the DHCBA filed a petition challenging the decision to form a judicial committee to explore the jurisdiction increase proposal. This committee was established after the All District Courts Bar Association of Delhi requested an increase in jurisdiction from ₹2 crore to ₹20 crore, addressing Law Minister Arjun Ram Meghwal and the Law Commission in May 2025.
More Read
Court’s Interim Order and Legislative Context
Last week, the High Court issued an interim order dismissing objections to the committee’s report presentation. The Bench stated that the pecuniary jurisdiction of the High Court is governed by the Delhi High Court Act, 1966, which only Parliament can amend. However, the High Court retains the authority to review issues impacting justice administration and make recommendations.
Subsequent to the report presentation, the full court agreed to a proposal increasing district court jurisdiction from ₹2 crore to ₹10 crore, sparking the current protests by the DHCBA.
