Trial Courts' Lawyers Call Off Strike, Welcome Passage of Bill

New Delhi: The lawyers' body of all six district courts in Delhi today called off their 16-day long strike after the Lok Sabha passed a Bill regarding enhancement of pecuniary jurisdiction of trial courts of the national capital from Rs 20 lakh to Rs two crore.

The coordination committee of all district court bar associations said the lawyers will resume work from tomorrow.

Advocate RK Wadhwa, Chairman of the committee, said that the lawyers will re-join their work from tomorrow as the Bill has been passed in the Lok Sabha.

"Long struggle of lawyers has paid the dividend and we are thankful for the support from advocates and judges of lower judiciary of Delhi. We are also thankful to the district administration for cooperating with our cause," he said.

Advocate Sanjeev Nasiar, the committee's convenor, said a programme has been organised by the lawyers at Tis Hazari courts tomorrow to celebrate the victory.

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"We will resume our work from tomorrow. We thank Law Minister DV Sadananda Gowda, Finance Minister Arun Jaitley, Urban Development Minister M Venkaiah Naidu and all the Members of Parliament who have supported us in this cause," he said.

The indefinite strike, which had started on July 21, has affected the judicial work in all the six district courts -- Patiala House, Tis Hazari, Karkardooma, Rohini, Saket and Dwarka. Several lawyers were also on a relay hunger strike.

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The passage of bill, however, did not go well with the Delhi High Court lawyers who termed it as "unfortunate". Advocate Abhijat, Secretary of Delhi High Court Bar Association, said it was the "victory of arbitrariness and the defeat of rationale".

"The passage of the DHC Amendment bill in Lok Sabha today is unfortunate. We hope that even now the government does not succumb to rank populism but yields to the persuasion of logic.

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"The lives of tens of lakhs of litigants would be in a state of utter chaos if this bill is given effect to before the commercial courts Bill is enacted and notified," he said.

In May this year, the lawyers had called off their 15-day strike after the Rajya Sabha passed the Delhi High Court (Amendment) Bill to increase pecuniary jurisdiction of the trial courts in Delhi.

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The lawyers' body was protesting saying the full bench of Delhi High Court had recommended to the Centre that pecuniary jurisdiction be enhanced from the existing Rs 20 lakh to Rs two crore, but the bill has not yet been passed in the Parliament.