New Delhi, August 26: Lawyers in the national capital have on Tuesday staged a massive protest against a recent notification issued by Delhi Lieutenant Governor (LG) VK Saxena, which authorizes designated video conferencing rooms in police stations as venues for recording evidence.
Gathering in large numbers, the protesting advocates carried placards with slogans like “Kala Kanoon Wapas Lo” (Withdraw this black law) and voiced strong opposition to the move.
On Monday, representatives from the Coordination Committee of All District Bar Associations met with Delhi Chief Minister Rekha Gupta to press their demands. Lawyers across various district courts in Delhi have been on strike since August 22.
The Bar Council of India (BCI) has extended its support to the striking lawyers, strongly criticizing the LG’s order. In a letter to VK Saxena, the BCI argued that the August 13 notification undermines the principles of natural justice and compromises the right to a fair trial.
BCI Chairperson and Rajya Sabha member Manan Kumar Mishra, along with Co-Chairman Ved Prakash Sharma, urged the immediate withdrawal of the directive. While acknowledging the benefits of technology in expediting trials, the BCI warned that allowing testimony from police-controlled premises jeopardizes the credibility and independence of witness statements.
“Evidence should only be recorded in court in the physical presence of the witness,” the letter stated, emphasizing that police testimonies in a neutral courtroom are vital to fairness and transparency.
The Council outlined three key objections:
The standoff continues as Delhi’s legal fraternity intensifies its opposition to the controversial order.
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