The Karnataka High Court on Thursday initiated suo motu contempt of court proceedings against seven bar associations in the State for passing resolutions urging lawyers to abstain from court work..The seven bar associations are those of Mandya, Maddur, Srirangapatna, Malavalli, KR Pet, Pandavapura and Davanagere..The order was passed by a Division Bench of Chief Justice Abhay Shreeniwas Oka and Justice SS Magadum. ."It must be noted here that in the wake of COVID-19, all courts were adversely affected which brought about suffering to the litigants as well as to the members of the Bar. Now that normalcy has been substantially restored, bar associations cannot take recourse to strike/boycott,” the Court said. .In view of the same, the Bench went on to register suo motu contempt proceedings against the office bearers of the aforementioned bar associations that called for abstention from court work. ."We, therefore, direct the Registry to initiate suo-motu contempt proceedings against the office bearers of the aforesaid bar associations which took recourse to abstain from the court work. Separate contempt petitions for initiating suo-moto action shall be filed to which officer bearers of the bar association shall be made party. Registrar General to take note of this order and take appropriate steps,” the Bench ordered. .[COVID-19] Karnataka HC Chief Justice Abhay Oka appeals to Advocates to consider filing only cases of "real genuine urgency".Earlier this month, Chief Justice Oka had made an earnest appeal, urging advocates in the State to refrain from boycotting court proceedings or abstaining from court work, in the interest of ensuring maximum disposal of cases.
The Karnataka High Court on Thursday initiated suo motu contempt of court proceedings against seven bar associations in the State for passing resolutions urging lawyers to abstain from court work..The seven bar associations are those of Mandya, Maddur, Srirangapatna, Malavalli, KR Pet, Pandavapura and Davanagere..The order was passed by a Division Bench of Chief Justice Abhay Shreeniwas Oka and Justice SS Magadum. ."It must be noted here that in the wake of COVID-19, all courts were adversely affected which brought about suffering to the litigants as well as to the members of the Bar. Now that normalcy has been substantially restored, bar associations cannot take recourse to strike/boycott,” the Court said. .In view of the same, the Bench went on to register suo motu contempt proceedings against the office bearers of the aforementioned bar associations that called for abstention from court work. ."We, therefore, direct the Registry to initiate suo-motu contempt proceedings against the office bearers of the aforesaid bar associations which took recourse to abstain from the court work. Separate contempt petitions for initiating suo-moto action shall be filed to which officer bearers of the bar association shall be made party. Registrar General to take note of this order and take appropriate steps,” the Bench ordered. .[COVID-19] Karnataka HC Chief Justice Abhay Oka appeals to Advocates to consider filing only cases of "real genuine urgency".Earlier this month, Chief Justice Oka had made an earnest appeal, urging advocates in the State to refrain from boycotting court proceedings or abstaining from court work, in the interest of ensuring maximum disposal of cases.