The indefinite strike by the District Bar Association in Hoshiarpur against the Legal Aid Defence Counsel (LADC) Policy continued for a second consecutive day on July 8, 2026. The protest, conducted under the directives of the Punjab Bar Council, is being spearheaded by District Bar Association President Advocate PS Ghumman.
Protest Leadership and Demands
Addressing the assembled lawyers, Advocate PS Ghumman affirmed that the District Bar Association fully endorses all decisions taken by the Joint Action Committee. He stated that the strike will persist until appropriate action is taken on their demands. Ghumman emphasized that the Punjab Bar Council had unanimously resolved to oppose the LADC Policy, and even the Chief Justice of India had expressed reservations, forming a committee to review it. However, no committee report or final decision has been made public despite significant time passing.
Key Demands for Policy Withdrawal
Advocate Ghumman revealed that the Executive Committee of the Punjab Bar Council has demanded the immediate withdrawal of the LADC Policy by the Chief Justice of India, the National Legal Services Authority (NALSA), and the Punjab State Legal Services Authority. The association also calls for the restoration of the previous system, where free legal aid cases were assigned to advocates from panels prepared by respective Bar Associations. Ghumman argued that the existing policy has caused widespread concern among lawyers, whereas the earlier system was more transparent and ensured fair participation of advocates in providing free legal aid services.
Participation and Support
A large number of advocates participated in the protest, raising slogans in support of their demands. Notable attendees included District Bar Association Vice-President Advocate Vikram Singh, Advocate RP Dhir, Advocate Navjinder Singh Bedi, Advocate Ranjit Kumar, Advocate Tajpreet Singh Kang, Advocate Preetinder Singh Kang, Advocate Pawan Badhan, Advocate Arvind Agnihotri, Advocate Shamsher Singh Bhardwaj, Advocate Ashwani Kumar Verma, Advocate Gurpreet Kaur, Advocate Maninder Kaur, and several other bar members.
