Ram Mandir Pran Pratishta ceremony Bar Associations seek Holiday for Many Courts/Tribunals

Several government and private organizations have announced a full or half-day holiday in light of the Ram Mandir Pran Pratishta ceremony which was scheduled for Monday (January 22, 2024). In context with this event, bar associations had requested judicial forums to either suspend judicial work for the day or not pass any adverse orders due to the non-appearance of litigants or lawyers. Earlier, a notification was released by the Department of Personnel and Training stating, “Due to overwhelming sentiment of the employees and request from them, Central Government announces half day closing till 2:30 PM on 22nd January at all Central Government Offices, Central Institutions and Central Industrial Establishments throughout India on the occasion of Ram Temple Pran Pratistha Ceremony.” In view of the above-mentioned notification from the DoPT, the National Company Law Tribunal announced on January 19, 2024, that all its 15 benches would be closed for half a day on January 22 (today) because of the Ram Mandir Pran Pratishtha ceremony. 

Along with this, the administrative side of the National Consumer Disputes Redressal Commission would also be closed for half a day, and the principal bench of the Central Administrative Tribunal will be closed (full day). Similarly, a half-day holiday was declared by the National Green Tribunal on both the judicial and administrative sides on January 22. The Himachal Pradesh High Court declared a public holiday for itself and the District Judiciary on January 22. Also, work suspension was announced by the Punjab & Haryana High Court Bar Association on January 22, 2024, on the occasion of Pran Pratishta of Lord Rama at Ayodhya. Moreover, Manan Kumar Mishra, the Chairman of the Bar Council of India also appealed to the CJI DY Chandrachud to declare a court holiday on January 22. Similarly, the New Delhi Bar Association and the Jammu and Kashmir High Court Association had also requested judicial officers not to issue adverse orders against lawyers or advoc