The proceedings before all courts across the State, including the High Court of Karnataka, were affected on Wednesday as majority of the advocates abstained from work following a call given by the Karnataka State Bar Council.
The council had asked the advocates to abstain from the day’s proceedings as a mark of “protest against denial” of elevation to Jayant M. Patel (who resigned from the post of judge on September 25 afternoon), and to implement transparency in the Supreme Court’s collegium system in the process of appointment and elevation of judges to higher judiciary.
Only in a couple of court halls in the High Court, proceedings stretched beyond lunch break where either the litigants themselves were present to plead their case due to urgency or advocates attended the proceedings by giving priority to the interests of litigants over the boycott call. However, proceedings in majority of the court halls were wound up within a few minutes as the judges adjourned the hearing in the absence of advocates. Earlier, members of the Bengaluru Advocates’ Association urged some of the advocates, who had entered the court halls to seek adjournment or for mentioning urgent matters, to come out. While some advocates walked out, a few attended the proceedings.
Meanwhile, H.C. Shivaramu, president of the advocates’ association, told reporters that the legal fraternity is more worried about the reducing number of judges in the High Court as only 25 are working at present as against the sanctioned strength of 62. He also indicated that the members of the association would hold a demonstration in New Delhi if vacancies were not filled at the earliest.
