Srinagar, March 24 -- The Jammu & Kashmir High Court Bar Association stands as a crucial institution representing the legal fraternity, ensuring the fair administration of justice and upholding the rule of law. However, in recent years, the association has been plagued by a severe democratic deficit, with its functioning effectively hijacked by a closed group operating in a completely opaque and undemocratic manner. The legal community, which has long been committed to upholding constitutional values, now finds itself denied the basic right to participate in the affairs of its own representative body.

For a considerable period, elections within the Bar Association have been delayed indefinitely, and key decisions are being taken without ...