Delhi High Court Directs Expeditious Reconstitution Of Advocate's Welfare Fund Trust Committee While Considering Plea For Ex-Gratia Financial Assistance To Lawyer

The Delhi High Court has directed the State (NCT of Delhi) to take appropriate steps to expedite the process of reconstitution of Advocate's Welfare Fund Trust Committee.

The Court was considering a Writ Petition seeking directions to the Bar Council of India to process and release the ex-gratia financial assistance from the Advocates’ Welfare Fund for liver transplant surgery.

The Bench of Justice Sachin Datta ordered, "The GNCTD is directed to take expeditious steps to reconstitute the concerned committee of the Advocates’ Welfare Fund trust in terms of the communication dated 14.10.2025. Let necessary steps in this regard be taken within a period of one week from today."

The Petitioner was represented by Advocate Ravi Chandra while the Respondent was represented by Advocate T. Singhdev.

It was submitted that Pradeep Kumar, the husband of the Petitioner has been continuously and actively practicing as an advocate and has been a member of the Advocates’ Welfare Fund. It was further submitted that he has been regularly paying his subscription to the said fund, maintained by the Bar Council of Delhi through Advocates’ Welfare Fund Trust, in accordance with the provisions of the Advocates’ Welfare Fund Act, 2001.

It was submitted that Pradeep Kumar was unfortunately diagnosed with Chronic Liver Disease- Non-Alcoholic Steatohepatitis (NASH), decompensated with Acute Kidney Injury (AKI), Jaundice, and Ascites (Meld-NA Score 32) which constitutes a critical and life- threatening medical condition. It was submitted that he is currently undergoing treatment at AIG Hospital, Hyderabad, where he has been advised urgent liver transplant surgery as the only curative option. The estimated cost of liver transplantation and associated medical expenses runs into approximately 30 Lakhs which is beyond the financial capacity of the petitioner’s family and therefore the present Writ Petition.

The Counsel for the Respondent submitted that pursuant to an order under Section 8A of the Advocates Act, 1961 issued by the Bar Council of India, the Bar Council of Delhi  stands dissolved and a special committee has been appointed to look after the functioning of the Bar Council of Delhi.

It was further submitted that pursuant thereto, the concerned committee of the Advocates’ Welfare Fund Trust is also required to be changed and that a letter had been addressed to the Principal Secretary (Law), Govt. of NCT of Delhi, Law, Justice & Legislative Affairs in this regard.

The Court then issued the directions and adjourned the matter to December 16, 2025.

Cause Title: Mrs. Anshika Kumari v. Bar Council of Delhi and Others

Appearances:

Petitioner- Advocate Ravi Chandra, Advocate Nishant Kumar Gupta, 

Respondent- Advocate T. Singhdev, Advocate Tanishq Srivastava

Click here to read/ download Order