The Allahabad High Court Bar Association has urged bar bodies across India to oppose the proposal to make High Courts function on two Saturdays every month. It warned that extra court days would increase stress on lawyers, judges and staff, and may harm the quality of justice instead of reducing case pendency.
The Allahabad High Court Bar Association (HCBA) has written a letter to bar associations across India asking them to unite and oppose a proposal that suggests making High Courts work on two Saturdays every month.
In its letter, the HCBA raised serious concerns about how extra working days would affect lawyers, judges, and court staff. The association also questioned the belief that increasing court working days or hours will automatically reduce the backlog of cases.
The HCBA strongly opposed the proposal and warned that it may harm the justice delivery system in the long run. The letter clearly stated,
“Opening of courts on two Saturdays in a month needs to be resisted since it may appear to superficially attractive and appealing to the uninitiated but, eventually, it would affect the quality and quantity of justice while putting the legal fraternity, judicial fraternity and staff concerned to physical strain and psychological stress,”
highlighting that such changes could increase pressure rather than improve efficiency.
The bar association explained that the real working conditions of lawyers are often misunderstood. Although court timings are officially from 10 AM to 4 PM, the actual work of lawyers continues well beyond court hours.
According to the HCBA, weekends are not rest days for advocates but are used for important legal work such as preparing cases, drafting pleadings, and studying legal materials.
The letter further explained this point by stating,
“Matters which may be complicated, time consuming and need extensive preparation are normally dealt with on Saturdays and Sundays. In fact, Saturday and Sunday are the busiest days for lawyers,”
showing that weekends are crucial for proper case preparation.
The HCBA warned that holding court sittings on Saturdays would reduce the time available for preparation, which could negatively impact the quality of legal assistance provided to litigants. The association also criticised the proposal for adopting what it described as a “corporate-style approach to productivity”, where longer working hours are wrongly assumed to lead to better results.
The letter emphasised that judicial efficiency depends on working in a calm and stress-free environment, not by extending court sitting days. It also pointed out that judges and court staff are already under heavy pressure.
According to the HCBA, court staff are facing manpower shortages and delays in issuing certified copies of court orders, and additional working days would worsen these existing problems.
In its letter dated January 27, the HCBA urged other bar associations across the state to pass resolutions opposing the proposal. It also requested them to send these resolutions to the Supreme Court, all High Courts, and the Union Law Minister to ensure that the concerns of the legal community are properly heard.
The letter has been signed by HCBA President Rakesh Pande and Secretary Akhilesh Kumar Sharma.
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