Bombay High Court Aurangabad bench lawyers withdraw boycott after Chief Justice assures redressal of concerns

Lawyers at the Aurangabad Bench of the Bombay High Court have withdrawn their boycott after Chief Justice Devendra Kumar Upadhyaya agreed to hear their demands of having all judicial proceedings take place in one building.

The advocates had been boycotting court proceedings since October 4.

In a resolution dated October 6, the High Court Bar Association, Aurangabad submitted its suggestions to resolve the problems they were facing while attending court proceedings in two wings of the court building simultaneously.

Association Secretary, Advocate Radhakrishna Ingole told Bar & Bench today that the members visited Supreme Court judge Justice BR Gavai, who was in Mumbai over the weekend.

Ingole revealed that Justice Gavai asked the lawyers to resume attending judicial proceedings while he discussed the issue with Chief Justice Upadhyaya.

Justice Gavai later informed the lawyers that CJ Upadhyaya would be visiting the Aurangabad bench soon to discuss the issue. The lawyers were also informed that the bench would conduct hearings in the new wing through video conference, which would aid lawyers.

Accordingly, the Advocates' Bar Association at Aurangabad bench decided to withdraw their non-participation in judicial proceedings and have resumed appearing in courts from today.

The association has given the following suggestions for the High Court administration to consider:

• A new skywalk be constructed only for advocates between the old and new building, which would be located near the existing skywalk for judges;

• In the alternative, a new walkway be constructed only for advocates passing through the buildings;

• As an interim arrangement, the existing skywalk can be used by advocates and judges and the time reserved for judges should be at their convenience.