ALL INDIA BAR ASSOCIATION OF NATIONAL CONSUMER DISPUTES REDRESSAL COMMISSION vs UNION OF INDIA & ANR.

Judgment text excerpt

$~J * IN THE HIGH COURT OF DELHI AT NEW DELHI % Judgment pronounced on: 17.04.2025 + W.P.(C) 5437/2024 & CM APPL.22454/2024 ALL INDIA BAR ASSOCIATION OF NATIONAL CONSUMER DISPUTES REDRESSAL COMMISSION.....Petitioner Through: Mr. Abhijat, Sr. Adv. alongwith Mr. Navneet Kumar, Mr. Sanjeev Kumar Verma, Mr. P.K. Seth, Mr. Sagar Saxena, Mr. Pratyush Sharma and Mr. Avnish Kumar, Advocates. versus UNION OF INDIA & ANR. .....Respondents Through: Ms. Saarika Singh, SPC alongwith Mr. Chetan Jadon and Ms. Shivangi Rajawat, Advocates for R1 and R2. CORAM: HON'BLE MR. JUSTICE SACHIN DATTA JUDGMENT 1. The present petition seeks restoration of the summer and winter vacations in the calendar of the National Consumer Dispute Redressal Commission (hereinafter ‘NCDRC’). It is also sought that the calendar of the NCDRC be drawn up at par with the calendar of other commissions, tribunals and courts. 2. The petitioner herein is a registered Bar Association of NCDRC which, inter alia, works for the collective welfare of its member Advocates practicing before the NCDRC. 3. NCDRC is a quasi-judicial body which was set up in the year 1988 under the Consumer Protection Act, 1986 for adjudication of consumer Signature Not Verified W.P.(C) 5437/2024 Page 1 of 14 Digitally Signed By:ROHIT KUMAR PATEL Signing Date:21.04.2025 20:37:23 complaints/disputes. 4. It is submitted by the petitioner, that like all quasi-judicial authorities, the NCDRC, ever since inception, has been observing summer vacations in the month of June and winter vacations in the last week of December. It is also submitted that this practice was followed till 2020 but discontinued from 2021 onwards, presumably on account of the Covid-19 Pandemic. 5. It is submitted that prior to 2021, the calendar of NCDRC was consistent with the c