The Punjab and Haryana High Court expressed concern over the continuing disruption of judicial work in Punjab owing to the indefinite strike by various Bar Associations against the implementation of the Legal Aid Defence Counsel System (LADCS), observing that it expected the dispute to be resolved without judicial intervention.

While hearing a public interest litigation filed by advocate Arvind Seth, a Division Bench of Acting Chief Justice Ashwani Kumar Mishra and Justice Rohit Kapoor observed that the wiser heads should prevail and this Court would not be called upon to deal with the issue raised in the present matter, on judicial side.

The petition asserts that the ongoing boycott has resulted in repeated adjournments, delayed disposal of cases and denial of timely access to justice for litigants across district courts in Punjab. It clarifies that the challenge is not to the merits of the lawyers’ objections to the LADCS scheme, but to the paralysis of court functioning caused by the indefinite strike. The petitioner has sought directions to ensure the uninterrupted functioning of district courts and appropriate action against those obstructing judicial proceedings, contending that institutional grievances cannot come at the cost of litigants’ constitutional right to access justice.