strike
The Delhi high court Bar Association (DHCBA) today called for a two-day strike against the Rajya Sabha deciding to increase the pecuniary jurisdiction of district courts yesterday, after the district court bar had been on a back-to-back strike of nearly two weeks.
Tensions run high, and patience wears thin in the city's district courts as its lawyers’ bar strike for the quick-smart implementation of enhanced jurisdiction for lower courts stretches on (now until 6 May).
PTI reported that all of Delhi’s six district courts’ lawyers today decided they would go on a two-day strike over Parliament’s delay in tabling the bill to enhance lower courts’ pecuniary jurisdiction.
The lawyers would march and assemble outside the Prime Minister’s residence. Several strikes have been held over the issue.
Read this recent Legally India feature in Mint for more background on the long-running dispute.
According to a resolution passed yesterday by the Jharkhand state bar council, advocates in the state were called to go on strike today to protest attacks against advocates and “demand adequate security” from the police.
A seven-judge Allahabad high court bench led by chief justice DY Chandrachud served notices on the Bar Council of India (BCI), the Uttar Pradesh bar council and district bar associations about the strike by the local bar against the alleged murder of an advocate by a policeman on district court premises, reported the PTI:
The court said that besides taking stringent action against advocates found guilty of disrupting judicial work, it favored debarring from legal practice all those convicted in criminal cases for which the quantum of sentence was imprisonment for seven years or more.
The BCI had called for a national one-day strike following the killing, with local Allahabad lawyers continuing agitation.
Delhi district court bar associations are set to go on a half-day strike again tomorrow over the increase of pecuniary jurisdiction after striking the majority of last week.
An SMS to bar association members today stated:
R/M, U r requested to assemble at PHC 4 PROTEST MARCH on 24.3.15 at 2:30 PM Complete abstinence from work declared after 2PM in all Courts-Avnish Rana,Secy.Gen [Saket Bar Association]
Click here to read more about the issues and factions involved.
The Delhi district court lawyers’ strike for increasing the pecuniary jurisdiction of the lower courts continues today, after “around thousand lawyers marched to the residence of the Union Law Minster today. There our delegation met him outside his residence. We showed him his assurance letter given to us during the last session. He assured us that the bill will be passed but did not give any time frame, even after repeated requests. If they (government) will not do what they have assured us, we will intensify the protest,” RK Wadhwa, chairman of coordination committee of all district courts bar associations, told the PTI.
Click here to read more about the issues and factions involved.
This week in Mint, Legally India dove into the complicated and fascinating politics of the Delhi bar.
The Delhi Bar Association has called for today’s Delhi district court strike to be extended by another two to three days to protest the government’s deferring of the bill increasing the pecuniary jurisdiction of district courts.
SMS messages from the Delhi Bar Association to members stated, with conflicting end dates for the strike, said:
As Govt betrayel the lawyers on the issue of Pecuniary Jurisdisdiction. Complete strike will continue till 20 March in all Dist Courts. Pls cooperate. DD Sharma
and
R/M the coordination committee has unanimously decided to observe complete strike till 19-03-15 against the non implementation of pecuniary jurisdiction of Rs 2 cr
and
On the issue of P.J. Lawyers shall observe complete strike on18 & 19.3.15. and Gherao of law min on 19.3.15 at 8 AM at 1 Tyag raj Marg.Nr teenmurti. RKWadhwa
The DBA called for a one day strike yesterday.
Legally India reported on the politics behind pecuniary jurisdiction today in an in-depth report in Mint.
The Supreme Court Bar Association (SCBA) announced it would lodge its protest against last week’s alleged killing of a lawyer by wearing white ribbons, but would not be going on the national strike called by the BCI.
Allahabad advocate Nabi Ahmad was allegedly shot dead by a police sub-inspector resulting in local riots and a call by the Bar Council of India (BCI) for a national strike by lawyers.
The BCI has called for a national strike on Monday, 16 March, to protest the “ghastly and brutal killing of a lawyer by the police officials in court premises” at Allahabad yesterday.