PARLIAMENT PASSES DELHI HIGH COURT (AMENDMENT) BILL

 A bill to reduce the workload of the Delhi High Court by enhancing the pecuniary jurisdiction of civil suits from the existing Rs 20 lakh to Rs 2 crore was passed by Parliament.

The Delhi High Court (Amendment) Bill, 2015, earlier passed by Rajya Sabha, was adopted by a voice vote by the Lower House in the absence of most of the opposition members who are boycotting proceedings to protest the suspension of 25 Congress members for five days by the Speaker.

Once implemented, the measure would allow transferring of civil suits, valued up to Rs 2 crore, to the nine district courts in Delhi from the high court. The bill was introduced by the UPA government in Rajya Sabha in February 2014 and referred to the Standing Committee on Law and Personnel, which cleared it.

The NDA government approved the measure without any changes and the measure was passed by the Upper House in the Budget Session.