Delhi High Court Bar Seeks Rollback of Decision to Make First and Third Saturdays Working Days
The Delhi High Court Bar Association has requested the Delhi High Court to reconsider its recent decision to make the first and third Saturdays of every month regular working days.
In a letter dated February 4, addressed to Chief Justice Devendra Kumar Upadhyaya, the Bar Association said that the decision has caused strong dissatisfaction among lawyers. It stated that extending working days may negatively affect the quality of justice due to increased physical and mental fatigue among advocates.
The Association pointed out that the real solution to reducing case pendency lies in filling the 16 vacant judge positions, rather than adding extra sitting days. It urged the High Court to fill these vacancies within a fixed timeline.
The Bar also noted that judges already handle heavy workloads involving hearings, administrative duties, and judgment writing. Mandatory Saturday sittings could lead to burnout for both judges and lawyers. It further stated that the required 210 working days are already met without treating the first and third Saturdays as regular court days.
The Association has requested that the circular dated January 15, 2026, implementing Saturday sittings, be kept in abeyance until the concerns raised by the Bar are properly addressed.
