Delhi lawyers to boycott courts over new traffic challan rules
Delhi district court bar associations have called on advocates to abstain from work on Monday in protest against recent amendments to the Central Motor Vehicles Rules on the disposal of traffic challans. In a circular issued on Sunday, the Coordination Committee of All District Courts Bar Associations of Delhi said its members had unanimously decided on a one-day abstention from work on September 21 as a token protest against the amended Rule 167, which it described as "draconian and arbitrary".
The committee said the changes affect how contested challans are decided and could make it harder for people to seek judicial remedy. It has also announced a peaceful protest outside court complexes at 11.30 am on Monday, and warned of stronger agitation if its concerns are not addressed.
The bar body objected to three parts of the amendment, including the "proposed/implemented transfer of adjudicatory powers over contested challans from judicial magistrates to Sub-Divisional Magistrates (SDMs), Executive Magistrates and other departmental officers". It also opposed "the designation of officers from departments such as Food & Supplies, Tehsildars and District Transport & Enforcement Offices for redressal of challans".
It further challenged the mandatory 50 per cent pre-deposit for litigants seeking further judicial remedy after rejection of a challan, saying the mechanism creates "an unreasonable impediment to judicial remedy".
According to the circular, under amended Rule 167(5), a person issued a challan must either pay the specified amount or contest it through a prescribed portal within 45 days, failing which the challan is deemed accepted under Rule 167(6).
The committee said amended Rule 167(9) requires a person whose challenge is rejected by the designated authority, even after an order from a judicial magistrate, to approach the competent court only after depositing 50 per cent of the challan amount.
The circular said the issue was "not merely administrative in nature" and concerned the right of citizens to have contested challans adjudicated by a competent judicial forum. It added that the amendment also raised questions about the separation of executive and judicial functions.
It said the 50 per cent pre-deposit condition had "serious implications for access to justice", particularly for ordinary citizens who may not be able to arrange such funds.
The circular, signed by secretary general Narveer Dabas, said the committee had taken up the matter with the Delhi government several times, including through a representation on August 27 and another to the chief minister and law minister on September 7. It said the committee had been assured in meetings that the proposal to appoint SDMs and other officers would not be implemented without first consulting the central government.
However, the circular said media reports later indicated that officers from different departments had already been notified as authorities for challan redressal, a development the committee viewed with "grave concern".
It said a meeting was held on Saturday, September 19, where the committee unanimously resolved to abstain from work on Monday. It added that advocate members would gather for a peaceful protest outside their respective court premises at 11.30 am.
"Members are requested not to appear before any court, either physically or through virtual mode, on September 21 in pursuance of the unanimous resolution," the circular said.
In line with the call, Advocate Tarun Rana, secretary of the New Delhi Bar Association, issued a circular saying there would be complete abstention from work at the Patiala House Courts Complex on Monday, with members gathering at Gate No 4 at 11.30 am to register their protest. The move follows objections by the bar bodies to the amended Rule 167, particularly over the shift in adjudicatory powers and the 50 per cent pre-deposit requirement for further legal remedy.- EndsWith PTI inputsPublished By: India Today Web Desk Published On: Sep 20, 2026 23:01 IST
