The Chief Justice of the Karnataka High Court on Monday cautioned that courts will have to be closed again if advocates don’t behave properly and fail to adhere to the Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) set by the High Court imposing restriction on entry of advocates into the court premises to contain spread of COVID-19.
Chief Justice Abhay Shreeniwas Oka said that a group of advocates went haywire at gate number 5 questioning the restrictions, which allowed only advocates with prior appointments to enter the court premises for physical filling of petitions.
“Those advocates wanted entry into the court without prior appointment. If this situation continues, then we will have to close down the court,” the Chief Justice said.
He made these remarks while hearing through video conference a PIL petition, suo motu initiated by the court to find solutions for legal and technical hurdles coming in the way for conducting, sitting in a Division Bench, also comprising Justice S. Vishwajith Shetty.
“I had to spend half-an-hour convincing the advocates, leaving all my important work. They were asking all sorts of questions. One lawyer asked me when COVID-19 will end? I told him I cannot answer that. Another asked me why they were forced to appointments. Please tell lawyers that let them not create a situation where we have to close down the courts again...,” the Chief Justice told Anil Kumar J.M, chairman, Karnataka State Bar Council.
To this, Mr. Kumar said the council would advise the Bar associations, while stating that the behaviour of certain advocates could be due to anxiety.
“If lawyers don’t behave, then it will lead to closure of courts. They need not come to court unless they have a case or to file a case physically after taking appointment,” the Chief Justice said.
