The Bar Council of India (BCI) has announced a joint virtual meeting to address the ongoing strikes by advocates in Uttar Pradesh, which have significantly hampered judicial work across the state. The meeting, scheduled for Sunday, July 14, 2024, aims to resolve the issues and find a solution to the ongoing strike.
The press release issued on July 11 stated,
“Immediate measures to prevent further strikes, effective communication and grievance resolution without strikes, the role of the Bar Council of India, State Bar Councils, and Bar Associations in facilitating dialogue and addressing concerns and harboring a culture of compliance and cooperation among all members, establishing a permanent grievance redressal mechanism within each Bar Association, regular virtual and in-person meetings between the Bar Councils and Bar Associations to promptly address issues of the Bar would be discussed therein.”
Agenda of the Meeting
The meeting will discuss the following agendas:
- Discussion on the Supreme Court’s Directives: Addressing the prohibition of strikes by lawyers, as reiterated in a series of judgments.
- Exploring Compliance Strategies: Developing methods to ensure adherence to these directives.
- Grievance Resolution through Dialogue: Formulating plans to address grievances without resorting to strikes.
- Soliciting Feedback: Gathering suggestions from all concerned parties for effective resolution of the matter.
- Framework for Continuous Engagement: Developing a framework for ongoing consultation with the Bar Council of India, State Bar Councils, and respective Bar Associations.
Participating Organizations
The Bar Council of Uttar Pradesh, the Prayagraj District Bar Association, and the High Court Bar Association, Allahabad have been invited to attend the meeting.
Background of the Strike
The Allahabad High Court Bar Association had abstained from work on July 10, protesting administrative mismanagement and certain Bench member’s behavior towards the Bar, souring mutual assistance.
BCI’s Commitment
The Bar Council of India has requested the High Court Bar Association of Allahabad High Court to recall the strike and resume court work. The BCI is committed to addressing the grievances of the High Court Bar Association and will take the necessary steps to resolve these issues at the earliest. However, the continuation of the strike cannot be allowed.
Objective of the Meeting
The objective of the meeting is to find an effective solution to the ongoing strike and to establish a permanent grievance redressal mechanism within each Bar Association. The meeting will also discuss immediate measures to prevent further strikes, effective communication, and grievance resolution without strikes.
The meeting will be attended by office bearers from the BCI, the Bar Council of Uttar Pradesh, the Prayagraj District Bar Association and the High Court Bar Association, Allahabad. The Allahabad High Court Bar Association decided to abstain from work on July 10 over the High Court administration’s failure to address certain issues plaguing the lawyers, particularly the conduct of certain judges towards the Bar. The strike continued on July 11.
In its letter of July 10, the Bar Association had expressed concerns that the current relationship between the judges and lawyers was damaging and affecting the administration of justice.
The letter raised the following concerns:
- Court conduct of Justice Rohit Ranjan Agarwal
- Behaviour of some other judges towards the lawyers
- Judges do not follow old tradition to revise the list of fresh cases/unlisted cases.
Yesterday, the Bar Association in a strongly-worded resolution after a meeting of its Executive Committee said it wants to save the judiciary “from insider attack being done by some of Hon’ble judges treating themselves as God”. “It is resolved that High Court is not a temple of justice rather is a court of justice and the judges are also the public servants for which they are being paid from the public exchequer and are appointed to serve the public at large. We refuse to recognise them as God…” the resolution said. It further called upon the lawyers of all bar associations to not address the judges as ‘My Lord’ or ‘Your Lordship’.
Conclusion
The virtual meeting is a step towards resolving the ongoing strike and finding a solution to the issues faced by the advocates in Uttar Pradesh. The Bar Council of India is committed to addressing the grievances and ensuring that the judicial work is not hampered further.
FAQ’s
- Q: What is the purpose of the virtual meeting called by the Bar Council of India (BCI)? A: The virtual meeting aims to address the ongoing strike by advocates in Uttar Pradesh and find a solution to the issues that have led to the strike.
- Q: Who has been invited to attend the virtual meeting? A: The Bar Council of Uttar Pradesh, the Prayagraj District Bar Association, and the High Court Bar Association, Allahabad have been invited to attend the meeting.
- Q: What are the key agendas to be discussed during the meeting? A: The meeting will discuss the Supreme Court’s directives on prohibition of strikes by lawyers, exploring compliance strategies, grievance resolution through dialogue, soliciting feedback, and framework for continuous engagement.
- Q: What is the background of the strike by advocates in Uttar Pradesh? A: The Allahabad High Court Bar Association had abstained from work on July 10, protesting administrative mismanagement and certain Bench member’s behavior towards the Bar, souring mutual assistance.
- Q: What is the BCI’s stance on the strike? A: The BCI has requested the High Court Bar Association of Allahabad High Court to recall the strike and resume court work, and is committed to addressing the grievances of the High Court Bar Association.
- Q: What is the objective of the virtual meeting? A: The objective of the meeting is to find an effective solution to the ongoing strike and to establish a permanent grievance redressal mechanism within each Bar Association.
