Lok Sabha Speaker Sumitra Mahajan on Wednesday termed lawyers as priests in the temple of law and highlighted their role in the freedom struggle.
“The lawyers’ community played a vital role in the freedom struggle. What a priest does in the temple, the advocates do the same in the temple of law,” asserted Mahajan while addressing the concluding ceremony of the three-day convention of Akhil Bharatiya Adhivakta Sangh in Lucknow on Wednesday.
Attacking the #Metoo campaign, Mahajan said that advocates should feel their responsibility towards the society and instead highlight #Ytoo.
“Advocates at present are eyeing high packages by getting engaged in the corporate world instead of practising in courts and facilitating justice to the common man. Lawyers have to maintain integrity and they should feel their responsibility in building up high standard in the society,” the Lok Sabha Speakers said.
Claiming that even her husband and she were advocates, Mahajan said that lawyers should remain aware and facilitate the government in implementing new laws enacted to forward justice to the last person of the society.
She also appealed to the lawyers’ association to come forward not just in improving the system, but also with suggestions on how India’s judicial system could be strengthened further.
Speaking at the function, West Bengal Governor Keshari Nath Tripathi said that the Adhivakta Parishad was an example of showing the way to the society and facilitating justice to all. He added that advocates should not indulge in any agitation or protest so that the High Court has to take cognisance and ban their unwanted stir and declare it unlawful.
Tripathi highlighted the importance of Public Interest Litigation (PIL) claiming that it had become a powerful tool to extend justice or check unlawful activities of government or even expose corrupt practices. However, he cautioned that people should keep in mind that such tools should be not misused.
The West Bengal Governor said that advocates should honour the judiciary as if they indulged in any activity which hits the pride then the people would lose their faith in the system.
Tripathi also highlighted how some activists or organisations were attacking Indian democracy and cited examples.
“Creating an atmosphere of chaos or spreading rumours that democracy is in danger after a couple of incidents in the country is very damaging. Our’s is a huge country and critics should give ample time to law enforcers to probe before drawing a negative conclusion. One should act with responsibility, ensuring that people’s faith in democracy should not be affected,” Tripathi pointed out.