HC Bar seeks transfer of chief justice Jha; council stays resolution

Hours after Punjab and Haryana High Court Bar Association (PHHCBA) on Friday decided to boycott hearings before chief justice RS Jha and sought his transfer, the Bar Council of Punjab and Haryana (BCPH) stayed the resolution passed by the former.

The High Court Bar Association is a body of lawyers with around 4,000 members, who mainly practices in high court. As of the Bar Council it is a statutory body with over one lakh members in both the states and Chandigarh. The council regulates entry of lawyers into legal profession including those practicing in high court.

Earlier in the day, the PHHCBA had claimed that it is concerned over non-listing of matters of urgent nature and accused the chief justice of non-cooperation, and despite requests and offer of viable solutions, remaining “adamant”.

It decided to revive the resolution of boycott of his court from May 10 and warned that those who appear would face disciplinary action. Their main contention is that out of 46 courts only 11 are functioning and cases are being listed with prior permission from the bench—called mentioning due to which only a handful of cases are being listed. In February too the Bar Association had decided to boycott his court.

The Bar Council later came out with a list of 39 lawyers, who it said have lost lives due to pandemic. It further added that as many as 170 lawyers have lost their lives. The Bar Council on April 30 had requested chief justice to take stock of the prevailing circumstances and ensure the safety of lawyers and judicial officers. “The Bar Council has all along supported the HCBA and always strived hard for the welfare of the legal fraternity. But the unprecedented and precarious situation has compelled the Bar Council to intervene,” it said, staying the resolution adding that it is not the right time for any agitation and more than livelihood issue at hand is of safety.