Delhi’s lower courts are grappling with a severe space crunch, exposing a long-standing crisis in the allocation of lawyers’ chambers amidst a rapidly growing legal fraternity.
NEW DELHI: Delhi, the heart of India’s legal framework, is now at the epicenter of an infrastructure crisis that threatens to derail the daily functioning of its courts. With over 1.65 lakh registered lawyers in the capital and only 7,745 chambers available across all lower court complexes, the system is bursting at the seams. The numbers don’t just represent a logistical challenge—they highlight a deep-rooted structural flaw that has remained unresolved for years.
This blog dives deep into the chamber space crisis in Delhi’s lower courts, its impact on the legal community, especially new entrants, and the pressing need for institutional reform.
Tis Hazari Court: A Heavyweight Bearing the Brunt
Tis Hazari, one of the oldest and busiest court complexes in Delhi, is currently shouldering a disproportionate load. Of the 7,745 total chambers across all lower courts in the capital, 4,500 are located in Tis Hazari alone, accounting for about 58% of all available chambers. However, this figure still falls short of meeting the needs of the 12,000 lawyers registered to practice there.
As the complex continues to house more lawyers than it can reasonably accommodate, space-sharing and overcrowding have become the norm. For new lawyers especially, finding a spot to sit, work, or meet clients within the premises often turns into a daily hustle.
A Glimpse Across Delhi: Numbers That Speak Volumes
The problem isn’t confined to Tis Hazari. Most of Delhi’s major court complexes are grappling with similar, if not worse, constraints:
- Karkardooma Court: 800 chambers for 16,000 registered lawyers
- Rohini Court: Only 400 chambers available for around 13,000 lawyers
- Dwarka Court: 345 chambers for a pool of 8,000 lawyers
- Saket Court: Roughly 700 chambers despite high lawyer registration
- Patiala House Court: Around 1,000 chambers for over 10,000 members of the New Delhi Bar Association (NDBA), of which 3,000 actively practice here
These figures not only underline the sheer magnitude of the space deficit but also reveal the imbalance between enrollment and infrastructure growth. In many courts, the number of chambers hasn’t increased in over a decade, while the population of lawyers has grown exponentially.
An Unbalanced Growth Curve: Thousands of New Lawyers, No New Chambers
Between 2015 and 2021, Delhi saw the enrollment of nearly 98,500 new lawyers across various Bar Associations. These lawyers, mostly fresh graduates, enter the profession full of energy, ambition, and a desire to make a difference. However, they’re met with a harsh reality—there’s no place to sit.
According to Bar Association officials, the last major chamber allotment exercise took place in 2012, for chambers that were constructed in 2010. Since then, chamber construction has barely kept up, even as new law graduates continue to swell the ranks of the profession year after year.
This leaves many lawyers working out of cafeterias, court corridors, libraries, or even outdoors. In some cases, senior lawyers rent out desks or offer limited access to juniors—but this is not a sustainable or dignified solution.
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Chambers as a Cornerstone of Legal Practice
For many outside the profession, a lawyer’s chamber might seem like just another office. But within the legal community, it’s much more than that. A chamber represents:
- Professional identity and credibility
- A secure space to store sensitive client files and documents
- A hub for client consultations, strategizing, and legal drafting
- A zone of confidentiality, required for maintaining attorney-client privilege
- A stepping stone toward career growth and independence
For junior advocates or first-generation lawyers without legal networks or family connections, having a chamber isn’t a luxury—it’s a lifeline.
The Chamber Crisis and Bar Elections: Promises vs. Reality
The chamber crisis was one of the central issues in the recently concluded elections of various Bar Associations in Delhi. Candidates pledged to take up the cause, promising:
- More chambers in under-served courts like Rohini, Dwarka, and Saket
- Fair and transparent allotment processes
- Collaboration with court administrations and the Delhi High Court
- Long-term infrastructural reforms to address the growing demand
However, lawyers remain skeptical. Promises made during elections often get buried under bureaucratic red tape. Without proactive involvement from judicial authorities, bar councils, and the Delhi government, these issues risk remaining unsolved indefinitely.
Rouse Avenue Court: An Outlier
Interestingly, Rouse Avenue Court stands out as an exception. As a relatively newer court complex, it currently faces fewer issues with chamber space—mainly because fewer lawyers practice there compared to other courts. However, this is likely to change as the court’s caseload increases and more lawyers shift their practice here in search of available space.
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The Way Forward: Urgent Solutions Needed
To address this growing crisis, multi-pronged solutions are necessary. These include:
- Immediate construction of new chambers: Especially in courts like Karkardooma, Rohini, Dwarka, and Saket, which are operating far beyond their infrastructural capacity.
- Reclaiming and repurposing unused government land: Land around court premises can be allocated for temporary or modular workspaces for lawyers.
- Shared and digital workspace models: Encouraging lawyers—particularly juniors—to co-work or use cloud-based document storage and virtual meeting tools to reduce dependency on physical space.
- Transparent and merit-based chamber allotments: Moving away from seniority-only systems and considering the actual need and practice frequency of applicants.
- Collaboration with urban planning authorities: Judicial infrastructure must be integrated into city planning. Courts are not static institutions; they grow with population, caseloads, and professional demand.
Why the Public Should Care
While this may seem like a professional problem limited to lawyers, the ripple effects of this infrastructure failure impact everyone. Overcrowded courts, lawyers without proper workspace, and congested environments contribute to:
- Delayed proceedings
- Reduced efficiency of legal representation
- Higher client costs
- Decline in service quality
- A strained justice delivery system
The public has a stake in ensuring that lawyers have the facilities they need to perform efficiently. After all, access to justice begins with access to infrastructure.
Final Thoughts: A Call for Urgent Action
The chamber crunch in Delhi’s lower courts is more than a matter of discomfort—it’s a symptom of a deeper administrative apathy and systemic neglect. If not addressed urgently, it could weaken the very foundations of Delhi’s legal system.
For a city that prides itself on being the legal nerve center of the country, this issue demands immediate attention from bar leaders, the judiciary, and the government alike. Young lawyers, especially, deserve better. They are not just the future of the profession—they are its present.
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