HC recognises Central Delhi Court Bar Association as bar body of Rouse Avenue Court complex

A division bench of Justice Sanjeev Sachdeva and Justice Ravinder Dudeja in its April 8 order said, “Accordingly, in view of the above, we are of the view that none of the three Associations can be accepted as the Court annexed/recognized Bar Association of the Rouse Avenue District Court Complex. Consequently, the decision of the Bar Council of Delhi in refusing to grant recognition to the Rouse Avenue Bar Association and the Rouse Avenue District Court Bar Association and cancelling the recognition of the Delhi Rouse Avenue Court Bar Association cannot be faulted.”

The bench also said that as far as the fundamental right of all citizens to form an association as enshrined in Article 19 (1) (c) of the Constitution of India is concerned, there can be no dispute that such associations can be formed.

The bench, however, without commenting on the validity of the formation of these bar bodies, said that “merely because an Association has been validly formed does not ipso facto entail recognition as a Court annexed Association or as a recognized Association under the Advocates Welfare Fund Act”.

The bench noted that the balance naturally tilted in favour of the ‘Central Delhi Court Bar Association’ since it was constituted by the Bar Council of Delhi.

It thereafter passed a slew of directions, including the constitution of an Adhoc Committee for the Central Delhi Court Bar Association, the membership drive of the association as well as its membership fee.

The bench said that the first meeting of the Adhoc Committee shall be held on April 26 at the office of the Bar Council of Delhi. It also said that the elections to the executive committee of Central Delhi Court Bar Association will be held on October 19, along all other bar bodies in the city as mandated by the full bench of the High Court in its March 19 decision.