Jaipur: Chief Justice of India, Justice Surya Kant, will arrive in the city on Saturday to participate in a national seminar, while all judges of the Rajasthan High Court will convene at the Jaipur Bench for daily hearings.
The one-day seminar, titled “The Bench Beyond Retirement: Role of Retired Judges in the Growth of ADR and Legal Awareness for the Common People,” will take place at the Constitution Club’s Prithviraj Chauhan Auditorium. Retired judges from the Supreme Court and various high courts will participate. Rajasthan Chief Minister Bhajan Lal Sharma will also address the gathering.
The seminar will focus on strengthening alternative dispute resolution (ADR) mechanisms such as mediation, arbitration, and conciliation, as well as enhancing legal awareness among citizens. With rising case pendency in courts, retired judges are seen as key contributors to easing the burden on the judiciary.
Simultaneously, the high court will witness an unprecedented arrangement. All judges from the HC’s principal seat at Jodhpur and the Jaipur bench will sit together in Jaipur. According to a special roster, four larger benches, six division benches, and 15 single benches have been constituted — marking the first time four larger benches will function simultaneously. Cases from Jodhpur will be heard via videoconferencing. “The lawyers from the principal seat at Jodhpur will appear in their cases through videoconferencing,” said an officer.
The historic development comes amid a continuing standoff between the Bar and the Bench. Three bar associations have called for a voluntary boycott of judicial work on Saturday, opposing the decision to designate select Saturdays as working days.
Re-poll announced for Rajasthan Bar Council elections at four booths
Jaipur: Fresh polling for the Rajasthan Bar Council elections will be held on May 4 at four booths where voting was cancelled on April 22 due to disruptions.
The high-powered election committee has decided to conduct re-polling at Rajasthan High Court Jaipur and sessions courts at Jaipur, Jodhpur, and Raisinghnagar (Sriganganagar). Voting will take place from 8am to 5pm.
The decision was taken unanimously in a committee meeting held Friday, which found the incidents at these centres serious enough to affect the fairness of the election process.
The committee has also ordered an inquiry into the April 22 events. Assistant Returning Officers (AROs) have been directed to submit reports within two days, along with election materials such as ballot boxes, papers, and video recordings.
