Delhi High Court orders bar association polls to be held on February 7

The Delhi High Court recently fixed February 7, 2025 as the date for holding elections to various bar associations in the national capital [Nitin Kumar Advocate v Bar Council of Delhi & Ors]..A Bench of Justices Yashwant Varma, Rekha Palli and C Hari Shankar passed the order with the consent of counsel representing various bar bodies in Delhi."The elections to all Bar Associations in Delhi shall consequently now be held on February 7, 2025, subject to any legal restraint or impediment impeding that process," the Court said in its order. .The date for holding of final elections was decided keeping in mind the various preparatory steps that are liable to be taken for purposes of holding of elections with due expedition, it added..With regard to the elections to the Delhi High Court Bar Association (DHCBA), the Court directed the authorities to complete all formalities related to scrutiny process by January 10, 2025."We further direct the competent authorities to ensure that the Election Commission which is to be constituted follows immediately upon closure of the scrutiny process," it further ordered. .In March this year, the High Court ruled that elections for all the bar associations in the national capital should be held simultaneously and on the same day. It had then ordered that elections this will be held on October 19.However, on October 1, the Court deferred the Bar elections due to pendency of a case before Supreme Court. The order was passed on an application moved by the Secretary of DHCBA.On December 17, it was informed that the top court had clarified that it has not passed any interim stay against holding of elections of the High Court or District Courts Bar Associations.Accordingly, the Court ordered holding of elections in February. .Advocates T Singhdev, Tanishque Srivastava, Abhijit Chakravarty, Bhanu Gulati, Aneem Hussain, Sourabh Kumar, Yamini Singh and Ajay Kumar Aggarwal appeared for the Bar Council of Delhi.Senior Advocates Kirti Uppal, Mohit Mathur, Jatan Singh, Sandeep Sharma, Amit Chadha, Sanjay Dewan with advocates Harsh Kumar, Naginder Benipal, Shyam Sharma, Bandana Kaur Grover, Dhan Mohan, Rajat Manchanda, Siddharth Tripathy and Sumit Misra represented the Delhi High Court Bar Association.Advocate Ajit Kakkar appeared for Armed Forces Tribunal Bar Association (AFTBA).Advocates Chaman Kumar Gupta, Kundan Lal Gupta, Manish Gupta and Karan Sharma represented Delhi Tax Bar Association.Advocates Sanjay Sharma and Rakesh Kumar appeared for Sales Tax Bar Association..[Read Order]