New Delhi [India], April 15 (ANI): A petition has been filed in the Delhi High Court seeking the revival of a contempt case concerning the termination of services of Ad-hoc law officers. The plea alleges that such an action constitutes willful disobedience of the directives issued by this Court in its order dated 27.09.2019.
Furthermore, the petition argues that the respondents including Tihar Jail Director General and others abrupt discontinuation of the law officers’ services, without establishing corresponding positions, also amounts to contempt of this Court.
Advocate Amit Sahni, a social activist, had previously filed a petition that was disposed of by the Court’s order dated 27.09.2019. The order specifically directed the respondents to complete the appointment process for Law Officers in Delhi prisons, preferably within 12 weeks from the date of receiving a copy of the order.
However, the plea states that these directions were not followed within the stipulated timeframe. As a result, Advocate Amit Sahni filed a contempt petition against the respondents, citing willful disobedience of the court’s directives.
During the proceedings, the respondents informed the court that they had appointed 16 Law Officers on an ad-hoc basis. Based on this submission, the court disposed of the contempt petition through an order dated 21.12.2021.
The petitioner now contends that, despite more than five years passing since the 2019 order and over three years since the contempt petition was disposed of, no concrete steps have been taken to create regular posts for Law Officers.
Adding to the gravity of the situation, the plea highlights that even the temporary ad-hoc arrangement of appointing law graduates to fulfill Law Officer duties has been abruptly discontinued through an order dated 02.04.2025, issued by the Office of the Director General (Prisons), Government of NCT of Delhi.
The petitioner argues that this act amounts to willful disobedience of the directions issued by the Division Bench of this Court.
Previously, the petition had alleged that, despite the provisions of the Delhi Prisons Act, 2000–mandating that every prison must have a designated Law Officer–there is currently only one Law Officer overseeing all 16 jails in the national capital. This lone officer is stationed at the prison headquarters in Tihar.
Furthermore, it had been claimed that between August 2016 and February 2019, no Law Officer was appointed at the prison headquarters. According to Section 6 of the Delhi Prisons Act, 2000, every prison must have a superintendent, deputy superintendent, medical officer, Law Officer, welfare officer, and other personnel deemed necessary by the government. (ANI)
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