New Delhi, Jun 7 (PTI) The coordination committee of all the district courts’ bar associations in Delhi passed a resolution on Saturday, withdrawing the lawyers’ protest scheduled for Monday in connection with the shifting of the digital Negotiable Instruments (NI) Act courts to Rouse Avenue.

“A meeting of the coordination committee was held with the Chief Justice of the Delhi High Court, wherein it was assured that all digital courts will function strictly as digital platforms only. All remaining proceedings and judicial work will be conducted exclusively in the regular local courts,” the resolution said.

It said the necessary directions were passed to the presiding officers of the courts for not insisting on the personal appearance of any stakeholder, including parties, witnesses, advocates and others, and that all evidence would be recorded in the local courts concerned.

“In light of the positive assurance and action from the Chief Justice, the coordination committee has unanimously decided to withdraw the call for abstinence from work on June 9, Monday,” the resolution signed by the committee’s chairman, Nagendra Kumar, said.

The committee unanimously passed a resolution on Friday for the lawyers to abstain from work on Monday in the face of the “unrest” among them because of the shifting of the digital courts.

Explaining the issue, advocate Dhir Singh Kasana, former secretary of the Saket Court Bar Association, said the resolution for abstaining from work was passed because from previous circulars, it appeared that the parties to a digital NI-Act or cheque-bounce case, including advocates, had to personally appear in the Rouse Avenue Courts complex instead of their respective courts.

“The issue, however, has been clarified. The committee has informed us that no personal appearance is required and that the proceedings will be carried out digitally,” Kasana said.

On May 30, Delhi High Court Chief Justice Devendra Kumar Upadhyaya inaugurated 34 digital courts at the Rouse Avenue District Courts complex here to try cases under the NI Act exclusively in the national capital. PTI MNR RC