The Bombay High Court on Friday directed the Maharashtra government to take a decision on the representation made by city-based lawyers seeking that legal services be recognised as essential services and that they be permitted to use local trains to commute to courts.

A bench led by Chief Justice Dipankar Datta said the state government must inform the court of its decision by August 6. The bench was hearing a bunch of public interest litigations and intervention applications filed by lawyers from across the city.