Delhi High Court Bar Association Challenges Judges’ Committee on Raising District Courts’ Pecuniary Jurisdiction

May 26, 2026 : The Delhi High Court Bar Association (DHCBA) has approached the Delhi High Court challenging a Full Court decision constituting a committee of judges to examine the proposal for increasing the pecuniary jurisdiction of Delhi district courts from ₹2 crore to ₹20 crore.

The matter was mentioned by DHCBA President N Hariharan before a Division Bench comprising Justices Devendra Kumar Upadhyaya and Tejas Karia, which agreed to list the petition for hearing today.

The judges’ committee was constituted pursuant to a Full Court resolution dated September 2, 2025. The committee currently includes Justices V Kameswar Rao, NW Sambre, Dinesh Mehta, Vivek Chaudhary, Prathiba M Singh and Navin Chawla.

The dispute stems from a representation submitted in May 2025 by the Coordination Committee of All District Courts Bar Associations of Delhi to Union Law Minister Arjun Ram Meghwal and members of the Law Commission, seeking enhancement of the pecuniary limits of district courts from ₹2 crore to ₹20 crore. Following the representation, the High Court constituted the committee to examine the issue, interact with stakeholders and submit recommendations regarding revision of the pecuniary thresholds.

Opposing the move, the DHCBA argued that the Full Court had taken suo motu cognisance of a representation that was not addressed to the Chief Justice or the High Court administration. According to the plea, the communication was exclusively addressed to the Union Ministry of Law and Justice and the Law Commission, without seeking comments or consultation from the High Court.

The petition further contended that no administrative or statutory basis had been disclosed for constituting the judges’ committee. It asserted that the Full Court resolution did not record reasons justifying the formation of such a committee to examine the proposed revision of pecuniary jurisdiction.

The DHCBA also warned that a substantial increase in pecuniary limits could adversely impact the functioning of the High Court’s original civil jurisdiction while significantly increasing the burden on district courts in handling complex commercial and civil disputes.

If the proposal is ultimately implemented, civil and commercial suits valued up to ₹20 crore would be transferred from the original jurisdiction of the High Court to Delhi district courts.