Justice or Overload? HC Bar Association Pushes Back on Saturday Court Proposal

The Allahabad High Court Bar Association is rallying bar associations nationwide to oppose a proposal for high courts to operate on two Saturdays each month. Concerns include increased workload and potential impacts on the quality of justice. The proposal's appeal is questioned, with emphasis on the strain it places on legal professionals.

The Allahabad High Court Bar Association (HCBA) has initiated a nationwide appeal, urging bar associations to oppose a new proposal that would see high courts open on two Saturdays a month. The move raises concerns about the increased workload for lawyers, judges, and court staff and its effect on the quality of justice delivered.

The HCBA argues the proposal may superficially promise to ease case backlogs, but in reality, it could compromise justice quality. Additional workdays fail to account for the existing stressful schedules lawyers and judges endure, particularly over weekends when preparation for complex cases and judgment writing occur.

Lawyers frequently spend weekends drafting detailed cases and studying legal texts, making them peak working days. The proposal's growing momentum, endorsed by figures such as Chief Justice of India Surya Kant and adopted by the Delhi High Court, has prompted the HCBA to call for collective resolutions against it, urging these be forwarded to major judicial bodies and the Union Law Minister.

(With inputs from agencies.)