The 154-year-old Madras High Court resembled a warzone on Monday morning as hundreds of lawyers who are on a warpath since early July laid siege to the court sending litigants, petitioners and the general public scurrying for cover. Barricades set up by the police were thrown away by the agitating lawyers. There were pelting of stones and tussle between the police and the agitating lawyers who tried to barge into the court promises.
Monday saw the police allowing only those lawyers who have cases listed for the day being allowed inside
the court premises. The agitating lawyers shouted slogans against the Chief Justice and the BCI.
Hundreds of lawyers who tried to trespass into the High Court premises on Monday were arrested and removed by the police. The security of the High Court is overseen by the CISF commandos.
The provocation for Monday’s siege of the MHC was the Bar Council of India’s decision on Sunday to suspend 126 lawyers in the State who have been named for their unruly behaviour and were in the forefront of the agitation. While most of the lawyers are against the decision of the Madras High Court to amend the Advocates Act, many of them blamed a particular section of lawyers for the unpleasant acts .
The stand off between the lawyers and the judiciary is the fall out of the move by the judges to amend the Advocates Act dealing with the disciplinary rules against erring lawyers. The lawyers argue that the court is not entitled or authorised to amend the advocates act and demand the amendments to be withdrawn.
Functioning of the courts in Tamil Nadu has come to near standstill following the agitation by the lawyers. Over the last few months, the Madras High Court saw many unpleasant incidents including trespass by a group of lawyers who were in an inebriated condition into the residence of Chief Justice S K Kaul.
“There are many fake lawyers among us who behave in unprofessional manner. It is their acts which has led to this situation where you see the lawyers coming out in the open,” said Subramanian Balaji, a prominent lawyer.