Lawyers' association suspends advocates who attended court

CHENNAI: Government lawyers, who along with other agitating lawyers had been staying off court proceedings since February 19, started attending courts on Wednesday, after a division bench sitting in Madurai made an offhand mention of their absence. The bench comprising Justice P K Misra and Justice N Paul Vasanthakumar, while ordering notice to the government on Wednesday, said the government advocates were absent "contrary to the direction of the Supreme Court." The Madras High Court Advocates Association (MHAA), however, swiftly announced the suspension of 10 government advocates who had defied the boycott decision and attended court proceedings. "They will be issued show-cause notices, asking why they should not be expelled from the MHAA. If their replies are not satisfactory, we will remove them from the association and the MHAA would not have any truck with them either at a professional or personal level," said the MHAA president R C Paul Kanagaraj. He also said that the members' return to regular court works hinged on the orders of the Supreme Court on March 6. Government pleader J Raja Kalifulla slammed the suspension of government advocates by the MHAA, and said the association did not have any powers to expel members who defy boycott calls. Pointing out that the Chief Justice of India K G Balakrishnan had urged striking advocates to get back to work, he said that as per the SC ruling it was unlawful for anyone to obstruct other lawyers from attending court proceedings. "The MHAA decision is in violation of the apex court judgment," he said. Meanwhile, an advocate, M Ramamoorthy, has written to the MHAA, that the prohibition' on filing new cases would affect citizens' fundamental right to access justice. Calling for a course correction in the advocates' stir against "police carnage," the advocate wanted the struggle committee to lift the ban on filings. Cautioning the MHAA against endorsing the hooliganism displayed before the third bench of the court, the advocate said, "today we are in a position to regain our dignity and prestige...It is high time we have a debate and discussion on this issue."

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