Jaipur/Jodhpur: Lawyers will abstain from work at the Jodhpur principal seat and Jaipur bench of the Rajasthan High Court when it reopens on Monday, announced bar associations. This follows a standoff between lawyers and the high court over the decision to introduce night courts and two working Saturdays each month. A full court had decided to increase working days from Jan 2026, a move which the bar associations termed “impractical” and detrimental to the justice delivery system.At the Jaipur bench, the Rajasthan High Court Bar Association (RHCBA) said the administrative decision was taken without consulting the Bar. It opposed night courts, citing security concerns, inadequate infrastructure, lack of transport facilities, and accessibility issues for litigants, particularly those travelling from remote areas. Though the association submitted a detailed representation to the high court administration on Dec 19, 2025, it has not received any response.In Jodhpur too, advocates announced a voluntary boycott of court work on Jan 5.After the winter recess, a joint meeting of the outgoing and newly elected executive committees of the Rajasthan High Court Advocates’ Association, Jodhpur, and the Rajasthan High Court Lawyers’ Association, Jodhpur, was held on Saturday. A similar meeting of bar members was convened at the Jaipur bench on Sunday.Both meetings unanimously resolved to oppose two working Saturdays each month and the proposal to convene evening courts. All subordinate courts in districts would also boycott work. RHCBA president Rajeev Sograwal said increasing the number of working days would put additional burden on advocates, adversely affecting their physical health, mental well-being, and family life, ultimately impacting the quality of judicial work.The Bar Council of Rajasthan too termed night courts unworkable under existing conditions, and urged the high court administration to reconsider the decision, warning the proposed changes could negatively affect advocates’ efficiency, health, and work-life balance.
