: After the Joint Action Committee (JAC) of the Bar associations in Tamil Nadu announced that it would withdraw the court boycott, the Bar Council of India (BCI) passed an order on Tuesday temporarily staying the suspension of 124 lawyers of the State.
“Compelled” by various protests and strikes staged by advocates since June 6 demanding withdrawal of amendments made to the statutory Rules of the Madras High Court empowering judges to debar erring lawyers, the BCI, on July 23, passed an order suspending 126 lawyers.
However, in view of the assurance given by the JAC, the BCI has passed an order staying the suspension of 124 lawyers (one had died and one name was repeated in the original order).
In his order, Chairman of the BCI Manan Kumar Mishra said, “The Chairman, Vice Chairman and other office-bearers/members of State Bar Council and Bar Association along with the Co-Chairman of this Council S. Prabakaran have come to Delhi with a request to re-consider the decision of the BCI in light of the resolution passed by the JAC on August 14.” Citing the resolution that said the agitation against the recent amendment to the Advocates Act has been suspended forthwith, the Chairman in his order said, “Considering the entire facts and circumstances, the subsequent developments and the decision of the JAC, the operation of the order dated July 23 is hereby stayed till August 22.”
However, the order made it clear that a final order would be passed on August 22, only if the report from the Bar Council of Tamil Nadu and Puducherry confirms that the advocates have resumed work pursuant to the JAC resolutions.
Further, referring to the third resolution of the JAC which resolved that a meeting of the Executive Committee of the JAC would be called in the last week of August to asses follow-ups, Mr. Manan Kumar Mishra said the resolution had led to some confusion about the purpose of the meeting.
A final order on the suspension will be passed after a report from the TN and Puducherry units
