The judicial work in six Delhi district courts was affected due to a strike by lawyers on Thursday, opposing the suggestion of the Bar Council of India to the law Commission that there should be a ban on such protests.
The advocates, later in the day, ended their strike after the Bar Council of India (BCI) reportedly assured them that the recommendation to the law panel would be withdrawn.
“Around 3,000 lawyers participated in today’s sit-in outside the Bar Council of India’s office in Deen Dayal Upadhyay Marg. The chairman accepted his mistake and assured us he would withdraw the recommendation in this regard. He assured us that on any recommendation against the lawyers’ community, he will be with us,” the General Secretary of Co-Ordination Committee of All District Court Bar Associations of Delhi, Neeraj, said.
He said that, besides Delhi, the strikes were also observed in various district courts across the country, including National Capital Region, Punjab, Haryana, West Bengal and Tamil Nadu where work remained partially affected.
The lawyers were shouting slogans against BCI chairman Manan Kumar Mishra and said that his dictatorship would not be tolerated as he was misusing his power.
They also burnt effigy of Mishra to vent their anger against the arbitrarily decision of the Bar Council.
The Coordination Committee of All District Court Bar Associations of Delhi said the strike was being observed in all six district courts — Patiala House, Tis Hazari, Rohini, Karkardooma, Saket and Dwarka.
According to the committee, the strike is not against the Bar Council of India (BCI) or any other organisation, but “to safeguard the dignity” of the legal profession.
“None of the lawyers is appearing before the court as we have decided to abstain from work. The strike is successful,” said New Delhi Bar Association President Santosh Mishra.
The country’s apex advocates’ body had reportedly recommended to the law Commission of India for barring lawyers from going on strike.
The committee had called the strike saying that the proposed suggestions of the BCI to prohibit advocates from going on strike, boycotting or abstaining from work in courts and imposition of penalty on them, would curtail their “democratic rights”.
The BCI has given detailed suggestions to the lCI, which is drafting amendments to the Advocates Act on a reference made to it by the Supreme Court.
The apex lawyer’s body in its suggestion said that the law should be amended to statutorily prohibit lawyers from boycotting or abstaining from work.