New Delhi:
A lawyers' body on Tuesday decided to call off its two-day-long stir over the Delhi High Court's recommendation to raise pecuniary limit of civil suits of lower courts from Rs 20 lakh to Rs 2 crore after the Chief Justice and the administrative committee allowed it to give representation on the issue.
The day-long consultations between the leaders of Delhi High Court Bar Association (DHCBA) with Chief Justice D Murugesan and other senior High Court judges resulted in an amicable interim solution of the issue, leading to the calling off the strike.
"In view of the assurance given by the Chief Justice and the administrative committee to place our representation on the issue of pecuniary jurisdiction before the full court, we called off the strike," President of DHCBA, A S Chandhiok said.
"We will be allowed make a fresh representation to the full court for consideration," General Secretary of DHCBA, Mohit Mathur said.
Meanwhile, on Tuesday most of the courtrooms in the High Court wore a deserted look as lawyers abstained from courts. Litigants took adjournments in their respective matters.
An unprecedented face-off took place between the judges and the DHCBA, which, in its notice, decided to observe May 27 as a black day and asked lawyers to abstain from courts to protest the "Lordship's betrayal" of Bar on the issue. The lawyers' body also termed it as "backstabbing".
The high court judges then held a full court meeting and decided to stand by the Chief Justice, slamming the lawyers' body for "intemperate" language in the notice.
"The Full Court further deprecated the tone and tenor of the notice (of DHCBA) and the intemperate language used. It resolved that the false assertions made were unfortunate and unbecoming of the President of the DHCBA (AS Chandhiok), who also happens to be a law officer of Union of India.
"The High Court resolved that it stood by the Chief Justice and other judges of the administrative committee and reiterated its earlier resolutions on the issue," a press release, issued on Monday by the Registrar General, had said.
The lawyers have been protesting for last two days over the decision which will lead to transfer of thousands of civil suits from the High Court to district courts. Meanwhile, the bar leaders of the nine district courts have hailed the decision of the Chief Justice.
Earlier, the DHCBA had alleged that the judges did not consult the Bar. The Registrar General, in the statement, said the decision to recommend the revision of lower courts' pecuniary jurisdiction was taken after considering the report of a committee of its judges.
"The committee had held extensive consultations with all sections of the Bar in Delhi, including the representatives of the DHCBA," it had said.