Karnataka High Court Chief Justice requests advocates to refrain from boycotting court work

Chief Justice of the Karnataka High Court Abhay Shreeniwas Oka has requested the members of the Bar to refrain from boycotting and abstaining from court work. Justice Oka has appealed to lawyers not to hinder the administration of justice. In this regard, the letter reads,.“Such acts of abstaining from courts cause interference in the administration of justice. Such acts also cause prejudice and inconvenience to the litigants.”.In a letter addressed to the Presidents and office bearers of all bar associations in the state, Justice Oka notes that there have been various reasons for the frequent boycotts. These include the introduction of an amendment to the Motor Vehicles Act, police atrocities, assault of advocates, death of advocates and so on. The letter further states that many court days have been lost between May and October of this year, owing to boycotts..Justice Oka reminded the advocates that they are the officers of the court and enjoy “special status in the society”. Due the same, they have obligations and duties to ensure the smooth running of courts, Justice Oka pointed out..The letter also refers to Supreme Court decisions in which it has been held that lawyers have no right to go on strike or give a call for boycott..Justice Oka also reminds the Bar that the Karnataka High Court has fixed a time schedule to dispose off all ten-year-old cases in the lower civil and criminal courts..“The High Court is closely monitoring the disposal of the 10 years old cases. The High Court’s aim is to ensure that not a single 5 years old case remains pending in our Civil and Criminal Courts by the end of the year 2020.”.In response to the letter, President of the Advocates Association, Bengaluru AP Ranganatha addressed opined,.“If genuine concerns are there, agitation is our right. In some parts of Karnataka, some associations went on a strike regarding infrastructure and amenities of courts. If everything is fine, nobody is going to strike. If their problems are addressed and settled, there is no reason for the lawyers to strike.”.[Read the letter here]