Lawyers in Delhi are set to go on strike again, commencing on September 8th. This decision was made during a meeting of the committee of all district bar associations in Delhi at Patiala House Court. The meeting concluded that the strike, scheduled to begin on September 8th, will neither be postponed nor withdrawn. The New Delhi Bar Association (NDBA) issued a notice stating that the meeting addressed the issue of police presenting evidence in court online from police stations. Lawyers are protesting against this practice, arguing it hinders justice. They demand that police personnel provide testimony physically in court. Despite an appeal from the Bar Council of India’s Chairman to call off the strike, the lawyers have refused. They assert the strike is in the public interest to ensure fair trials, and will continue indefinitely from September 8th if their demands are unmet. The NDBA stated that they are adamant in their demand that police officers must appear in court to give testimony/evidence. NDBA secretary Tarun Rana mentioned that a letter from the Bar Council of India’s President, addressed to the presidents and secretaries of all district court bar associations in Delhi, requested the withdrawal of the movement. Rana emphasized that the coordination committee initiated this movement to protect the public’s interests and it will persist until their demands are met. The statement also mentioned that if the personal presence of all police officers in court for giving testimony/evidence is not ensured, the indefinite work boycott will continue from September 8th and the movement will intensify. A previous strike was initiated by Delhi lawyers on August 22nd, addressing the same issue, and was called off on August 28th after a meeting with a representative of Union Home Minister Amit Shah. The lawyers are protesting against a notification issued by Delhi’s LG on August 13th, which allowed police officers to provide testimony through audio and video from police stations. The lawyers argue this order is against public interest. A delegation of the coordination committee of district courts and representatives of the Delhi Bar Council met with Union Home Minister Amit Shah regarding this matter. After discussions, the Home Minister stated that a circular would be issued to clarify that police officers would not be allowed to provide testimony from police stations and would have to appear in court for giving testimony and presenting evidence. However, the lawyers claim that a circular was issued on September 4th from the office of the Police Commissioner, which did not align with the assurances given by the Home Minister, leading to the decision to resume the strike.
