Advocates call off boycott of courts

They will attend to court work from Thursday

The boycott of courts by advocates over the list of names recommended for the post of High Court Judges has been called off. Advocates will attend to court work from January 23 (Thursday), the president of the Madras High Court Advocates’ Association (MHAA), R.C. Paul Kanagaraj, said.

This followed a meeting the representatives of advocates associations had with the Chief Justice of India (CJI), Justice P. Sathasivam, and other Judges of the Supreme Court in New Delhi, he said when contacted.

The association had called upon advocates to stay away from courts to highlight the demand that the list of 12 names recommended for Judges post should be recalled. Meanwhile, advocates boycotted courts on Wednesday in support of their demand. They took out a procession on the campus.

Carrying placards, they raised slogans inside the court halls using a megaphone. A couple of Judges retired to their chambers following the slogan shouting. Some of the demonstrators asked advocates who were present in the court hall to come out. A few advocates who were standing on the corridor were seen moving away quickly when the demonstrators came near a court.

Justice C.S. Karnan, in a letter addressed to the CJI and the Chief Justice of the Madras High Court, Justice R.K.Agrawal, has said that he had made several allegations against them and other Judges of the High Court. “As such, it is my bounden duty to establish the veracity of my allegations,” he said. Therefore, his presence in the Madras High Court was absolutely essential, he added.

Apparently, the communication came in the wake of Mr. Justice Agrawal’s letter to the CJI seeking the transfer of Mr. Justice Karnan.

By another letter to the Joint Registrar, RTI Section of the High Court, Mr. Justice Karnan had sought the selection list of 23 District Judges (entry level) with bio-data, list of Judges who conducted the examination and did evaluation and the members of the selection committee.

Policemen posted

Meanwhile, policemen were posted in front of the residence of Justice Chitra Venkataraman, a Judge of the Madras High Court, on Greenways Road here, as a precautionary measure, the police said.