Lawyers’ boycott: HC issues contempt notices to bar office-bearers, 3 advocates

Lucknow: Taking a stern view of the boycott of judicial work and a lawyers’ strike, the Lucknow Bench of the Allahabad high court on Monday issued notices to office-bearers of the Central Bar Association and the Lucknow Bar Association, along with three advocates in their individual capacity. The bench asked them to explain why criminal contempt proceedings should not be initiated and why a complaint concerning their conduct should not be forwarded to the Bar Council of Uttar Pradesh.

The vacation bench of Justice Rajesh Singh Chauhan and Justice Rajiv Bharti passed the order while hearing a petition filed by Anuradha Singh and others, linked to earlier directions of the court for removal of encroachments by lawyers and others in and around the old High Court premises at Kaiserbagh.

After the police, district administration and municipal authorities began an anti-encroachment drive, sections of the legal fraternity opposed the action and abstained from judicial work. The court had earlier sought a report from the District Judge, Lucknow, on the developments.

In its order on Monday, the bench noted that advocates abstained from work between May 18 and May 26, following calls given by the two bar associations, and observed that the boycott was in violation of directions issued by the Supreme Court and the High Court. The bench said it was prima facie illegal and unjustified.

The court also recorded that the strike adversely affected litigants, including poor litigants travelling from distant places, and caused inconvenience to witnesses and other stakeholders. It reiterated that neither individual advocates nor bar associations have any right to call court boycotts or strikes.

During the hearing, the bench examined the District Judge’s report and video footage. The material reportedly showed an advocate distributing plastic batons during a meeting and making provocative remarks against the administration and police, which the court treated as a serious incident.

Notices were issued to advocates Uttam Tripathi, Himanshu Mishra and Brijesh Kumar Yadav, directing them to file replies on affidavit within two weeks. The court also noted that the Central Bar Association had expelled two advocates from its membership for five years as disciplinary action.

The matter is listed for further hearing on July 27.