Full Court Resolves to Hold Implementation of Controversial January Notification Following Protracted Resistance from the Bar Association
The Delhi High Court working Saturdays policy is on hold after the Full Court decided to suspend its earlier directive. The directive had made the first and third Saturdays of every month regular working days. In an official notification issued on Friday, the High Court said the Full Court met on July 9 and decided to defer the implementation of the schedule. The notification also said the Chief Justice will form a special committee to review the issue before taking any further decision.
Suspension of the Saturday Work Directive
The dispute began after the High Court introduced a major change earlier this year. On January 15, it notified that the first and third Saturdays would become regular working days. This marked a departure from the long-standing practice of treating Saturdays as court holidays, except in exceptional situations. Earlier, in October 2025, the Court had required every judicial bench to hear cases on at least one Saturday each month. It introduced that measure to speed up case disposal.
Historical Context and Bar-Bench Friction
The Delhi High Court Bar Association (DHCBA) strongly opposed the revised schedule. The association said the Court introduced the decision without consulting advocates. It also argued that the policy created serious logistical and professional difficulties for legal practitioners. In response, the DHCBA began a boycott of court proceedings on April 4. The protest intensified the dispute between the Bench and the Bar.
Statistical Backing and Community Perspectives
The debate over Delhi High Court working Saturdays reflects wider concerns within the legal community. A Bar & Bench survey conducted in February 2026 gathered responses from 853 legal professionals. The survey found that 70.8% of respondents opposed two working Saturdays each month. Only 29.2% supported the proposal.
