Delhi HC declines urgent hearing on LG’s police video testimony notification

he bench said the petition – a public interest litigation – would automatically be listed on September 3

The Delhi High Court on Wednesday declined an urgent listing of a petition challenging lieutenant governor VK Saxena’s August 13 notification that allows police officers to depose before courts via video conferencing from designated police stations.

The move has triggered sharp opposition from lawyers, who argue it compromises fair trial rights, tilts proceedings in favour of the prosecution, and risks manipulation of evidence. Another petition, filed by advocate Kapil Madan, has also challenged the order on similar grounds. (Representational image)

A counsel had mentioned the matter after lunch before a bench of chief justice DK Upadhyay and justice Tushar Rao Gedela, seeking immediate hearing. The bench, however, said the petition – a public interest litigation – would automatically be listed on September 3.

The LG’s notification designates all 226 police stations in Delhi as video-conferencing centres for officers to testify, citing the draft model rules of the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita aimed at “improving efficiency and saving time.”

The move has triggered sharp opposition from lawyers, who argue it compromises fair trial rights, tilts proceedings in favour of the prosecution, and risks manipulation of evidence. Another petition, filed by advocate Kapil Madan, has also challenged the order on similar grounds.

On Wednesday, the Delhi High Court Bar Association (DHCBA) urged members to wear black ribbons in protest until the notification is withdrawn. The Supreme Court Advocates-on-Record Association also condemned it, warning that it creates a perception of institutional imbalance.

Lawyers across district courts have been holding protests throughout the week. The Coordination Committee of district bar associations called for abstaining from work on Friday and Saturday. Sit-ins were held outside court complexes on Monday, while proceedings were boycotted on Tuesday and Wednesday.

Earlier, the Bar Council of India wrote to the LG seeking withdrawal of the order, warning that remote testimony undermines judicial control and risks procedural lapses. The SCBA has also called the notification a threat to judicial independence.