Delhi’s lawyers are preparing to strike again, with the action set to begin on September 8th. Prior to the strike, a meeting of the committee of all district bar associations in Delhi was held at Patiala House Court, where it was determined that the strike would proceed as planned. The core issue revolves around lawyers’ objections to police presenting evidence in court remotely from police stations, a practice they believe undermines justice. The lawyers insist that police officers must provide testimony in person in court. This stance comes despite an appeal from the Bar Council of India to call off the strike. The lawyers maintain that their movement is in the public’s interest, aimed at ensuring fair and independent trials. They have declared they will continue their indefinite strike from September 8th if their demands are not met. According to a notice from the New Delhi Bar Association (NDBA), the Bar Council of India’s Chairman had written to the presidents and secretaries of all district court bar associations in Delhi requesting the withdrawal of the movement. The NDBA emphasized that the movement seeks to safeguard public interests and will persist until their demands are fulfilled. The lawyers are demanding that police officers be physically present in court for giving testimony and presenting evidence. This is a continuation of their earlier strike from August 22nd, which was temporarily halted after a meeting with the Union Home Minister’s representative. The initial cause of the earlier strike was a notification from Delhi’s LG, which allowed police officers to provide testimony via audio and video from police stations. The lawyers view this as an anti-public order. The lawyers are unhappy with a subsequent circular from the Police Commissioner’s office that, they claim, did not reflect the Home Minister’s assurances, prompting the renewed strike action.
