The Central Government on Monday informed the Delhi High Court that the rules under the Industrial Relations Code, 2020 will be finalised by the end of February 2026, following which the Court closed proceedings in a writ petition challenging delays in the Code’s implementation.
A bench comprising Chief Justice D K Upadhyaya and Justice Tejas Karia was hearing a petition filed by N A Sebastian and Sunil Kumar, who had argued that despite notifying the Industrial Relations Code via a gazette notification dated November 21, 2025, the Centre had failed to frame implementing rules or constitute the requisite tribunals under the Code, resulting in a legal vacuum.
Appearing for the Centre, Solicitor General Tushar Mehta and Additional Solicitor General Chetan Sharma informed the Court that public suggestions had been invited and the finalisation process for the rules was underway. They further stated that two notifications had been issued earlier on Monday to address existing transitional issues.
The Solicitor General submitted that these notifications repealed earlier labour enactments effective November 21, 2025, and clarified that tribunals constituted under the now-repealed laws would continue functioning until new statutory bodies are created under the Code.
The Court, satisfied with the government’s submissions, observed:
“In our opinion, concerns on the writ petition are addressed and continuing the proceedings would not be required.”
It also noted that any “hiccups” in implementation post-framing of the rules could be raised in a fresh petition, if necessary.
The petitioners had contended that the absence of rules under the Industrial Relations Code created uncertainty, halted the functioning of industrial tribunals and labour courts in Delhi, and led to confusion regarding the status of pending disputes. They argued that the Code mandates transfer of such matters to new tribunals which had not yet been established.
However, the bench found these apprehensions unfounded in light of the Centre’s clarifications and concluded the matter.
