📷 Image: Wikimedia Commons / Satdeep Gill
Politics
P&H High Court Lawyers Strike Over Legal Aid Defence Counsel System
✍️ Bar and Bench
🗓 27 Jul 2026, 02:33 PM
👁 2
Lawyers at the Punjab and Haryana High Court have gone on strike, demanding reforms to the Legal Aid Defence Counsel system, disrupting court proceedings.
Lawyers representing the Punjab and Haryana High Court have initiated a strike, citing grievances over the current Legal Aid Defence Counsel system. The strike began early this week, with bar associations staging protests outside the court premises. The primary complaint centers on inadequate compensation and lack of support for counsel assigned to legal aid cases.
The lawyers demand a review of the remuneration structure and better administrative backing for defence counsel handling public interest litigations. They argue that the existing framework hampers their ability to provide quality representation to indigent litigants.
The strike has halted several pending cases, causing delays in judgments and affecting the court’s docket. Judges have expressed concerns over the prolonged disruption, urging a swift resolution.
The Bar Council has called for an emergency meeting with the court administration to address the issues. Until a settlement is reached, the lawyers plan to maintain the strike, hoping for a comprehensive overhaul of the legal aid system.
The lawyers demand a review of the remuneration structure and better administrative backing for defence counsel handling public interest litigations. They argue that the existing framework hampers their ability to provide quality representation to indigent litigants.
The strike has halted several pending cases, causing delays in judgments and affecting the court’s docket. Judges have expressed concerns over the prolonged disruption, urging a swift resolution.
The Bar Council has called for an emergency meeting with the court administration to address the issues. Until a settlement is reached, the lawyers plan to maintain the strike, hoping for a comprehensive overhaul of the legal aid system.