Supreme Court Issues Notice To Himachal Pradesh High Court Bar Association For Suspending Work To Mourn Lawyer’s Death
Last Updated on November 8, 2023 by News Desk
The Himachal Pradesh High Court Bar Association received notice from the Supreme Court after receiving a letter from the registrar general of the high court stating that members had not been attending work because an advocate had passed away.
The court, which has consistently issued directives against lawyers’ strikes and strongly condemned any abstentions from work, expressed dissatisfaction with the practise of suspending court work as a mark of respect for deceased lawyers in the eastern state.
In response to a letter from the registrar general suggesting a day’s absence from work, the court requested the Himachal Pradesh High Court Bar Association’s response. Judge Kaul declared that a letter about a bar association’s abstention from court work had been recorded, written by the secretary general of the Supreme Court to the registrar general of the Himachal Pradesh High Court in Shimla. One respected lawyer passed away, and on that account, abstention was done on September 9.
This is not the first time the apex court has forced striking lawyers back to work or taken critical notice of their abstention. Last year, the court monitored the strike at Sambalpur over the demand for a permanent bench in the western district and issued strictures. More recently, notice was issued to the Rajasthan High Court Bar Association at Jaipur Bench over the non-appearance of advocates due to a strike.
In April, the Supreme Court requested all high courts to constitute grievance redressal committees comprising the chief justice and two other senior judges, one from the bar and another from services, in a suo motu case regarding rampant strikes in bar associations across the country leading to massive disruption of the court’s work.
Case Title: M/s PLR Projects Private Limited v. Mahanadi Coalfields Limited & Ors.
Written by: Srijan Raj @procrastinate_human
