Delhi High Court Recalls Decision to Work on First and Third Saturdays After Bar Opposition

The Delhi High Court on July 17, 2026, officially recalled its earlier decision to hold court sessions on the first and third Saturdays of every month. The recall came through a notification following a Full Court meeting held on July 9, 2026, which resolved to defer the implementation of the Saturday sitting arrangement and constitute a committee to re-examine the issue. The committee will be headed by Chief Justice D.K. Upadhyaya.

The Original Decision

The Full Court of the Delhi High Court, in its meeting held on December 22, 2025, had decided that the first and third Saturdays of every month would be observed as court sitting days. A notification to this effect was issued on January 15, 2026. The decision was aimed at addressing the massive pendency of cases in the Delhi High Court by increasing the number of working days. The move was part of a broader effort by the judiciary to reduce disposal time and ensure timely justice for litigants.

Prior to this blanket decision, the High Court had introduced a more limited arrangement in October 2025, requiring each bench to sit on one Saturday every month. The December decision expanded this to two Saturdays per month for all benches.

Opposition from the Bar

The Delhi High Court Bar Association (DHCBA) strongly opposed the Saturday sitting decision from the outset. The association's primary objection was that the Bar was not consulted before the Full Court took the decision, despite the significant impact it would have on the professional and personal lives of lawyers. The DHCBA argued that the additional working days would create logistical difficulties for lawyers who handle matters across multiple courts, and that the lack of adequate support staff, library access, and administrative infrastructure on Saturdays would undermine the effectiveness of the sittings.

The opposition escalated when the DHCBA announced a boycott of court proceedings starting April 4, 2026. The boycott reflected the depth of the Bar's resistance to the unilateral imposition of Saturday sittings. A Bar and Bench survey conducted in February 2026 found that 70.8% of respondents opposed the introduction of two working Saturdays per month, while only 29.2% supported the proposal.

The Recall and Committee Formation

The Full Court meeting on July 9, 2026, acknowledged the need to reconsider the Saturday sitting decision in light of the Bar's concerns. The resolution stated that the earlier decision of the Full Court dated December 22, 2025, shall be deferred, and a committee constituted by the Chief Justice shall look into all relevant aspects of the matter. The notification giving effect to this recall was issued on July 17, 2026.

The committee under Chief Justice D.K. Upadhyaya is expected to examine multiple dimensions of the issue, including the actual impact of Saturday sittings on case disposal rates, the availability of support infrastructure, the views of the Bar and bench, and alternative mechanisms for reducing pendency, such as increasing the number of benches on regular working days, extending court hours, or adopting technology-driven solutions like virtual hearings for certain categories of cases.

Broader Context: Case Pendency in Indian Courts

The Delhi High Court's experiment with Saturday sittings reflects the broader challenge of case pendency in Indian courts. As of 2026, the Delhi High Court has a significant backlog of pending cases, and the national pendency figure across all courts exceeds 5 crore cases. Various measures have been proposed and implemented across different High Courts to tackle this backlog, including special sittings during vacations, fast-track courts, evening courts, and Lok Adalats.

However, the experience of the Delhi High Court demonstrates that increasing the number of sitting days without the cooperation of the Bar can be counterproductive. Effective case disposal requires coordination between the judiciary, the Bar, court staff, and administrative infrastructure. The committee's recommendations will be closely watched by other High Courts considering similar measures.

What This Means for Litigants and Lawyers

For the present, the first and third Saturdays will not be treated as court working days in the Delhi High Court. Lawyers and litigants should refer to the official court calendar for the applicable schedule. The committee's report and any subsequent Full Court decision will determine whether Saturday sittings are reintroduced, modified, or permanently abandoned.