After Association EC Members, Around 200 Lawyers Write To Calcutta HC Chief Justice Against Resolution To Boycott Some Courts
In furtherance to the letter addressed to Chief Justice Prakash Shrivastava by the two elected Executive Committee Members of the Calcutta High Court Bar Association, terming the resolution passed in the General Body of the Association on Thursday as "illegal, purported and alleged", around 200 lawyers being the members of the Calcutta High Court Bar Association have addressed yet another letter to the Chief Justice.
The members have also termed the resolution dated September 1, 2022, as "illegal, arbitrary, and unauthorized."
In the letter addressed to the Chief Justice, the lawyers state that the agenda of the meeting that took place on September 1, 2022, was perilous and directly interfered with the administration of justice and they even maligned a particular Hon'ble Justice for their own political agenda and gain.
The lawyers also mention that such an agenda of defaming a Judge is highly deplorable and a dangerous attempt to undermine the highest dignity, prestige, and integrity of the Institution.
The letter further states, "On August 30th, 2022, Incorporated Law Society of Calcutta has passed a resolution requesting all the Hon'ble Judges not to pass any Adverse Order on 01.09.2022 due to Mega Celebration Rally to Celebrate UNESCO putting the 'Durga Puja' Festival of our State on Heritage List. Subsequently Bar Association, High Court, Calcutta had also adopted the said Resolution. As a result, most of the Lawyers were not present on 01.09.2022. Taking advantage of absence of large member of Lawyers without any prior intimation some Lawyer's with the help of some office bearers of the Bar Association called a General Body of Meeting on 01.09.2022 at about 1.25pm in violation of the Rules. Most of the Lawyers were belong to a particular political groups and it is very unfortunate state of affairs that the office of the Bar Association is being used for political gain and for vested interest at the cost of dimming high prestige and intrigrity of this esteemed institution."
The lawyers have specifically stated, "We also being the members of the Bar Association, High Court, Calcutta, solemnly say and submit that the decision taken out of that meeting on 01.09.2022 is not the voice of the large member of legal fraternity of this institution and we highly condemn this gruesome attempt of attack on judiciary and further say that we are not part of this illegal/dubious resolution adopted by the Bar Association, High Court, Calcutta and we further request Your Lordship not to give any credence to the resolution of the Bar Association, High Court, Calcutta adopted on 01.09.2022, since it is not the reflection if the voice of all the members of the Bar Association in any manner and/or nature, whatsoever, and it has been passed without adhering to the Bar Association Rules."
A unanimous resolution of the General Body of the Association signed by the Secretary and Treasurer of the Association on Thursday requested the Chief Justice of the Court to consider their demands/grievances on a war footing. The resolution unanimously supported the contents of a letter of the same date of the member of the Association to the Chief Justice.
In the resolution that was passed on September 1, 2022, it was particularly mentioned that the members would abstain from attending work in Court Rooms 1 and 13 unless their grievances are redressed properly. Court No. 1 is that of the Chief Justice while Court No. 13 is that of Justice Rajasekhar Mantha.
On Monday, a letter was addressed to the Chief Justice by over a hundred lawyers of the Calcutta High Court urging him to take suo moto cognizance of rising threats to Judges across the State of West Bengal. The said letter highlighted that in the recent past, there had been an unprecedented incident wherein the Bench of Justice Abhijit Gangopadhyay was sought to be boycotted by a section of the Advocates.
