The lawyers in Punjab, Haryana and Chandigarh will suspend work on Thursday (August 8) in support of the ongoing strike by the Punjab and Haryana High Court lawyers against the constitution of Haryana State Administrative Tribunal (SAT).
The call to suspend work in both the states and Chandigarh has been given by Bar Council of Punjab and Haryana, the apex body of lawyers in the states.
Lawyers argue that the government’s decision of tribunalisation is bad for the country as the presiding officers of the administrative tribunal would not be able to fully justify the service matters.
Meanwhile, the strike at High Court entered its 14th day on Wednesday. Lawyers continued to lay siege at the gates and did not allow litigants and others, except High Court staff, to enter the premises. Lawyers had to face the ire of litigants too. It was on Tuesday when a High Court employee had alleged misbehaviour by some lawyers, which resulted in sloganeering by employees too.
Taking suo motu note of the strike, the High Court has deferred implementation of Centre’s July 24 notification on setting up of tribunal on Friday last. However, lawyers are demanding that it be scrapped.
Senior advocate’s letter puts Bar in spot
Leading service matters lawyer Rajiv Atma Ram questioned the manner in which proceedings of general house was conducted on August 5, when it was decided to continue with the strike. He accused some lawyers, including senior advocate Anupam Gupta of “highjacking” the general house proceedings wherein it was decided to continue with the strike even as the high court had intervened. Atma Ram also stated that other lawyers were not allowed to speak in the general house and further Gupta made “disparaging” remarks against some senior lawyers.
The letter written to Bar association underlines that neither are employees unions protesting nor are lower court lawyers striking work even as they too are affected. He has asked the Bar to seek opinion from all members on the issue.
When contacted, Bar president DPS Randhawa said he was yet to examine the contents of the letter.
However, Gupta responded by saying, “Mr Rajiv Atma Ram appears to be obsessed with me. I can reply to opinions not obsessions.”
