Lawyers firm on July 25 stir despite BCI warning

While the full court meeting of the HC has resolved to initiate contempt proceedings against agitating advocates, the Bar Council of India (BCI) has warned suspension and disqualification, if the ongoing boycott is not called off by July 22. But unmindful of this, advocates spearheading the protest, plan to lay siege. 

The advocates have been on a warpath ever since the new rules under Section 34 (1) of the Advocates Act, which enabled the courts to debar lawyers for certain violations, including browbeating or abusing judges, holding agitations within court hall and accepting money either in the name of a judge or on the pretext of influencing him or her. 

However, with the advocates adamant on continuing the boycott until the new rules are withdrawn and the court keen to implement the SC direction, the litigants have ended up being the affected party. However, the full court meeting in a bid to crack down the advocates’ gherao call has directed the Registrar General to consult the police and the CISF and to place cameras at the gates of the court to maintain record in case any untoward incidents were to occur. It may be noted that the agitation has been evoking mixed reactions. 

One group claims that the new rules had befallen them owing to the unruly behaviour of the advocates in the past. They note that unruly scenes witnessed within court premises and judges being threatened had led to the roping in of CISF at an expenditure of Rs 60 crore per year. However, advocates strongly opposed to the new rules argue that when provisions already exist under the contempt of court norms to check advocates for such violations, say there is no need for bringing in such new rules. They also claim that the rules would strongly weigh down on an advocate’s professional rights and freedom. For that matter, their main campaign against these rules revolves around the aspect that judges are neither kings nor advocates their slaves.