The Coordination Committee of All District Courts Bar Associations of Delhi will take a final decision on the ongoing lawyers’ strike against the LG’s notification allowing police to give virtual testimony. Advocates and court staff await the outcome as the strike enters its fifth day.
NEW DELHI: Advocates across the Delhi district courts have been on a strike since Friday, opposing the notification issued by the Lieutenant Governor (LG) of Delhi that allows police officers to present evidence in courts through virtual means directly from police stations.
The Coordination Committee of All District Courts Bar Associations of Delhi on Tuesday issued a circular addressing the ongoing situation and sharing updates from their discussions with authorities.
According to the circular, the authorities concerned have assured the bar association of a positive decision regarding the contentious notification.
The circular stated,
“A meeting was held with the competent authorities regarding the issue of the notification dated August 13 issued by the Lieutenant Governor (LG) of Delhi, wherein all the concerns were raised.”
The circular stated,
“It has been assured by the authorities to take a positive decision by today at 8 pm. It has been decided that in case no concrete response is received from the government by 8 pm, the abstinence from work in all Delhi district courts shall continue on August 27 in a more intensified mode,”
The circular further said that the bar members would be apprised of the decision by 8 pm.
Advocates, meanwhile, across the district courts confirmed that the strike was successfully organised on Tuesday, showing strong solidarity against the notification.
Earlier, on Monday, the Bar Council of India (BCI) sent a letter to the Delhi LG requesting an immediate withdrawal of the notification and emphasized that all police officials’ evidence should be recorded with their physical presence in the court.
Background:
The controversy began when the LG of Delhi issued the notification on August 13, allowing police officers to depose from designated video conferencing rooms at police stations instead of appearing physically in court.
The move was intended to ease administrative burden and speed up court proceedings, especially in cases involving multiple police officers.
However, many lawyers have criticized it, arguing that virtual testimony from police stations could compromise the transparency of evidence presentation, affect the rights of the accused, and weaken judicial scrutiny.
Advocates have been abstaining from work, emphasizing that the notification undermines the traditional courtroom process and raises serious concerns about fairness.
The Coordination Committee highlighted that the meeting with authorities focused on all issues and objections raised by the legal fraternity. It added that the assurances received indicate that the concerns of lawyers will be considered seriously before any final implementation of the notification.
The ongoing protest reflects the growing tension between Delhi’s legal community and the administration, as lawyers continue to demand that the LG’s notification be withdrawn to maintain the integrity of court proceedings.
With the assurance of a “positive decision,” lawyers are now cautiously monitoring the situation while continuing their abstention from work until a formal resolution is announced.
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