The Delhi High Court has asked the Delhi government to consider objections raised by district court lawyers to the draft Advocates Protection Bill, 2024. The matter will be heard next on January 8.
New Delhi: The Delhi High Court on Monday asked the Delhi government to carefully look into the objections raised by lawyers practising in Delhi’s trial courts regarding the draft Advocate Protection Bill, 2024.
The direction was passed by Justice Sachin Datta while hearing a petition filed by advocates seeking legal protection for members of the legal profession.
During the hearing, the Court officially took on record the objections submitted by the Coordination Committee of All District Courts Bar Associations of Delhi.
This committee represents lawyers from various district courts across the national capital and has raised serious concerns about certain provisions in the proposed law.
After noting the application filed by the Coordination Committee, the Court passed a clear direction to the Delhi government.
Justice Datta observed,
“Application filed to place on record the objections to draft of Advocate Protection Bill. Same will be considered by GNCTD for the purpose of framing an appropriate enactment,”
and directed the government to consider these objections while finalising the legislation. The matter has now been listed for further hearing on January 8.
The petition before the Court was filed by practising lawyers who have demanded a dedicated law to ensure the safety and protection of advocates in Delhi.
The plea was moved after the shocking murder of an advocate in April 2023, an incident that raised serious concerns about the safety of lawyers while discharging their professional duties.
The petitioners argued that advocates play a vital role in the justice system and therefore a secure and safe working environment must be ensured for them.
The background of the case shows that in May 2023, soon after the incident, the Bar Council of Delhi along with the Coordination Committee had prepared and submitted a draft Delhi Advocates Protection Bill, 2023.
This draft was sent to both the Law Minister of the Delhi government and the Chief Minister, urging the authorities to bring in a protective law at the earliest.
Later, in September 2024, the Department of Law under the Delhi government informed the High Court that the final draft of the Advocates’ Protection Bill, 2024 had been prepared and forwarded for consideration by the Council of Ministers.
However, due to delays in the legislative process, the High Court in May 2025 directed the Delhi government to take fast and effective steps to ensure that the bill is enacted without further delay.
Following this, the Coordination Committee approached the Court again by filing an application pointing out several objections to the draft bill. Among the major concerns raised, the committee stated that the definitions provided in the draft legislation were inadequate.
It specifically argued that the definition of the term “act of violence” and “an advocate engaged by a client” was “restrictive and narrow”, and could leave many advocates without protection under the law.
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The committee stressed that unless these definitions are widened, the purpose of the Advocate Protection Bill would be defeated, as many real-life threats and attacks faced by lawyers may not fall within the limited scope of the proposed provisions.
Advocate KC Mittal appeared before the Court on behalf of the Coordination Committee and presented the objections during the hearing.
With the High Court now directing the Delhi government to consider these objections seriously, the case has once again brought attention to the long-pending demand for a strong and effective law to safeguard advocates in the national capital.
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