Delhi High Court Exempts NCR-Based Court Staff, Lawyers From Winter Ban On Non-BS-VI Vehicles

The Delhi High Court on Friday said that the court staff and lawyers will be exemption from the winter vehicle-entry restrictions imposed on vehicles registered outside the national capital and below BS-VI emission standards.

Justice Amit Mahajan passed the order on a plea filed by Delhi High Court Bar Association (DHCBA).

The Court however clarified that the exemption will be only on court working days.

Senior Advocate N Hariharan appeared for the lawyers' body.

The Association sought permission for advocates residing in the National Capital Region (NCR), including Gurugram, Faridabad, Noida and Ghaziabad, to travel to Delhi in their vehicles for professional duties during the period from November 01, 2026, to January 31, 2027.

The plea sought a direction to the authorities to grant a regulated exemption. Alternatively, it sought a direction to Delhi Government's Environment Department to decide the Association's representation dated October 27, by passing a reasoned order within a time-frame fixed by the Court.

The Association challenged the restriction imposed under a notification dated June 23, 2026, issued by the Department of Environment and Forests, Government of NCT of Delhi.

The notification prohibits vehicles registered outside Delhi and below BS-VI standards from plying in the national capital between November 01 and January 31.

The notification, however, empowers the Environment Department to specifically exempt other categories of vehicles.

The DHCBA contended that the said provision enables the authorities to consider a separate exemption for advocates who need to travel to Delhi to attend courts, tribunals, chambers and other professional engagements.

It argued that advocates' attendance is frequently governed by judicial listings and directions, and their inability to reach court when a matter is called may prejudice the litigants they represent.

The Association clarified that it was not seeking a blanket exemption from environmental regulations or any immunity from stricter restrictions imposed under the Graded Response Action Plan (GRAP) or binding judicial orders.

The petition has been filed through advocate Amit Choudhary.