Delhi Lawyers Stage Strike Against 'Draconian' Criminal Laws

Advocates in Delhi abstained from judicial work on Monday to protest some provisions of new criminal laws. The strike, organized by the Coordination Committee of All District Court Bar Associations of Delhi, was in response to perceived 'draconian' laws that affect justice and litigants' interests.

Advocates across Delhi ceased judicial work on Monday in protest against certain provisions in the new criminal laws, describing them as 'draconian' and detrimental to litigants’ interests.

The strike was called by the Coordination Committee of All District Court Bar Associations of Delhi. Following a unanimous resolution made on July 11 at Tis Hazari Court, the committee urged lawyers to abstain from work on July 15, condemning provisions like the remand process and recording of evidence in police stations as harmful to justice dispensation.

The committee's circular, issued by president Jagdeep Vats and secretary general Atul Kumar Sharma, criticized the judiciary’s alleged unwarranted interference in the renovation of lawyers' chambers. Vats confirmed the strike's success, while advocate Dhir Singh Kasana expressed the legal community's dissatisfaction with the new laws and judiciary's encroachments.