New Delhi: The Delhi High Court Bar Association (DHCBA) has strongly condemned the notification issued on August 13, 2025, by Delhi's Lieutenant Governor V.K. Saxena, which designates video conference rooms in police stations as official venues for recording evidence of police personnel.

In a notice dated August 27, 2025, the DHCBA’s Executive Committee described the move as unacceptable and unanimously resolved to oppose it. The Association urged its members to wear black ribbons while appearing in court as a symbol of protest until the notification is withdrawn. The notice, signed by Joint Secretary Kunal Malhotra, stated that the order undermines the sanctity of judicial proceedings and called on members to cooperate with the protest. 

This protest is part of a wider agitation by lawyers in Delhi. Since August 22, bar associations from district courts have been on strike demanding the withdrawal of the Lieutenant Governor’s directive. On August 26, the Coordination Committee of All Delhi Bar Associations decided to extend the strike by another day. Lawyers from Patiala House Court and Rouse Avenue Court staged demonstrations to express their dissent.

The Bar Council of India (BCI) has also expressed strong concern, calling the notification a blow to the principles of natural justice. In a letter to the Lieutenant Governor, BCI Chairman Manan Kumar Mishra and Co-Chairman Ved Prakash Sharma warned that allowing police officers to give testimony from police stations could erode the credibility of evidence and hamper the right to a fair trial. They emphasised that evidence must be recorded in court with witnesses physically present to ensure effective cross-examination, which is essential for criminal trials.

With inputs from ANI