The Supreme Court on Monday fined a lawyer ₹100 for accusing its Registry of being biased in favour of big law firms and influential lawyers while listing cases before virtual courts functioning during COVID-19 lockdown.
A Bench led by Justice Arun Mishra communicated its decision to Reepak Kansal, the lawyer in question, by the telephone due to technical glitches in the videoconferencing system.
‘Reckless allegations’
In the previous hearing, before the Bench reserved the petition for orders, it called Mr. Kansal’s allegations as “reckless”.
Mr. Kansal, who appeared in person, had referred to how the case of Republic TV editor-in-chief Arnab Goswami was listed overnight.
“Why make reckless allegations against the Registry?” Justice S. Abdul Nazeer, on the Bench, had asked Mr. Kansal.
Justice Mishra had orally remarked that it was “very fashionable” to make allegations. At one point, the court asked whether the case of Mr. Kansal concerned personal liberty. Mr. Goswami had moved the Supreme Court recently after multiple FIRs were filed in several States for his comments on his TV show.
“The Supreme Court Registry is working day and night for your convenience … if you blame each other, there will be no functioning of this court,” Justice Mishra had said.
The petition had sought a direction to the Supreme Court Secretary General and other officials to stop discrimination against the not-so-influential lawyers.
The plea said there was no mechanism to address complaints against erring officers of the Registry who favour some law firms/advocates for reasons best known to them.
