The Delhi High Court Bar Association resolved to abstain from work on first and third Saturdays, opposing regular court sittings introduced by the Delhi High Court. The boycott begins April 4 after representations seeking reconsideration reportedly went unanswered by the Court authorities.
NEW DELHI: The Delhi High Court Bar Association (DHCBA) has decided to refrain from work on the first and third Saturdays of each month in protest against the Delhi High Court’s move to make those days regular court sitting days.
In a notice dated April 2, the DHCBA’s Executive Committee said the unanimous decision was taken at its March 27 meeting. The boycott will commence on April 4. The action follows numerous representations asking the Court to reconsider the Saturday-sittings decision, which the Bar says went unanswered.
The DHCBA said,
“Though multiple representations had been made to the Hon’ble High Court, seeking reconsideration of the said decision, however, no reconsideration had taken place,”
The Delhi High Court’s January 15, 2026 notification declared the first and third Saturdays of every month as official court sitting days a change from the earlier practice when Saturdays were generally observed as holidays except in limited circumstances.
In its notice, the Executive Committee said it weighed members’ concerns about the practical difficulties that Saturday sittings would create.
The notice stated,
“Executive Committee also considered the representations received from the members of the Bar highlighting the serious practical difficulties arising from Saturday sittings. Members had expressed that the present arrangement would cause significant disruption to their professional schedules, including appearances before various tribunals, arbitrations, mediation and courts outside Delhi. The Committee also took note of the adverse impact on preparation time, client meetings and overall professional efficiency,”
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Members were asked to comply with the decision and abstain from work on the first and third Saturdays each month beginning April 4; the Association said proxy counsel would be appointed for each court on those days.
The notice reiterated the Bar’s appeal for the Delhi High Court to rethink the Saturday-sittings policy, adding,
“The Executive Committee sincerely hopes that the concerns of the Bar will receive due consideration and that an appropriate decision will be taken in the interest of the Bar.”
Tension over Saturday hearings has simmered between the Bar and the Bench for months. In October 2025, the Court introduced a system requiring each Bench to sit on one Saturday a month to speed up case disposal a move the DHCBA had opposed, saying the Bar was not consulted and warning of logistical problems for lawyers.
There has also been strong resistance within the wider legal community to working Saturdays in High Courts. A survey of 853 respondents showed 70.8% opposed introducing two working Saturdays a month, with only 29.2% in favour. A majority (69.5%) believed that more working days would not significantly reduce pendency, and 84.6% felt the change would harm the work–life balance of advocates, court staff and judges. Most respondents favored boosting judicial strength and filling vacancies as more effective measures to tackle the backlog.
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