The Supreme Court Bar Association has proposed a resolution demanding that lawyers, regardless of their standing and seniority, be treated with “respect,” especially at the hands of Chief Justice of India H.L. Dattu and Justice Pinaki Chandra Ghose.
The association has issued notice for an emergent general body meeting on March 10 to discuss and consider the proposed resolution.
“The SCBA, while expressing faith in the institution of the Supreme Court and declaring that it holds judges in high esteem, requests that it members must receive in return, the same respect irrespective of their standing and seniority, especially at the hands of Honourable Mr. Justice H.L. Dattu, Chief Justice of India, and Honourable Mr. Justice Pinaki Chandra Ghose,” said a notice issued on February 27 to its members.
The March 10 meeting will consider the “hurried and selected manner” in which some of the Supreme Court Benches hear cases. The SCBA notice said “justice should not only be done, but must appear to have been done,” and the court should focus on qualitative rather than quantitative dispensation of justice.
Also on the meeting agenda is the “listing of large number of matters for hearing suddenly and without sufficient and clear prior notice.”
The notice said that this practice resulted in “denial of justice and causes irreparable injury to litigants and gives grave mental and physical hardships to lawyers which will ultimately result in erosion of faith in this great institution.”
The traditional system of listing of matters through an open and transparent mechanism should be restored, it said.
