AAP demands passage of Delhi HC amendment bill in winter

Aam Aadmi Party today demanded that the Centre ensure the passage of Delhi High Court (Amendment) Bill, 2014, during the ongoing winter session of Parliament.
The party said it backed the demand of lawyers practising in district courts, who are protesting the delay in passage of this bill, which will reduce the workload of the Delhi High Court and will also be beneficial for the residents of the national capital.
At present, cases involving even a small property are required to be filed before the Delhi High Court since it alone has ordinary original civil jurisdiction of the civil suits involving value of rupees twenty lakhs and above.

"There is no reason for any further delay in the passage of this bill by both Houses of Parliament, particularly after the parliamentary standing committee on law and justice having endorsed this bill.
"The passage of the bill will help transfer of 12,211 property-related cases pending in the Delhi High Court to the 11 district courts for speedy disposal. There would be neither additional burden on account of court fee on the parties to dispute nor loss of revenue to government on the same account," the party said in a statement.
This amendment bill, introduced in Parliament on February 17 this year, provides for enchancing the original jurisdiction of the High Court upto Rs two crore.

"Though AAP is of the view that this value is also less, but for the moment this bill should be passed without any further delay.
"Since 2003, circle rate of property has been enhanced leading to increase of their value by several times. Therefore, the enhancement of pecuniary jurisdiction of the Delhi High Court as well as district courts in Delhi is over due in view of devaluation of currency as well as increase of property rates in Delhi during the last one decade," the statement added.