‘Misplaced expectation’: High Court criticises routine adjournment pleas

NEW DELHI: Deprecating the “culture of adjournments”, the Delhi High Court has said such requests were being sought indiscriminately, driven by a misplaced expectation that they would be granted as a matter of course.

Justice Neena Bansal Krishna made the observation while hearing a petition seeking waiver of a cost of Rs 20,000 imposed for non-appearance of an advocate. The cost had been levied by another high court bench in May last year.

The petitioner submitted that his counsel could not appear as she was engaged in other trial court matters. He also stated that the advocate was a single mother with two children, facing “multiple difficulties” in her life.

In an order dated December 10, the court said adjournments were being sought without regard to the time of the opposing counsel or the court. It noted that the absence was due to professional

engagement, not personal difficulty, as claimed.