Appeal to CJ, BCI chairman to resolve rift between Bench, Bar

Three senior lawyers of the Madras High Court bench here today appealed to the Chief Justice of the HC and the Bar Council of India Chairman to resolve the rift between the Bench and the Bar in a peaceful manner and restore normalcy here.
In a memorandum to the CJ and the BCI chairman, the advocates expressed concern over recent incidents in the Madurai Bench and in the Madras High Court, which affected their smooth functioning, and urged the Chief Justice "as the father of the institution to be merciful as majesty of law lies in its mercy."
"Even the Bar caused agony to the bench. We are sure as the father of the institution today, the CJ will remember that majesty of law lies in its mercy," they said.

Stating that they did not wish to justify the conduct of some of their fraternity, the lawyers said institutional interest is paramount and must prevail over recent differences which had erupted.
The suspension of (15) lawyers had only aggravated the situation, they said and requested the BCI Chairman to recall it, forgetting the past, so that a peaceful settlment could be reached and participative comity between the Bar and the Bench is rejuvenated.
The lawyers also resolved to persuade leaders of the Bar to resort to negotiations and refrain from boycotting court.

They said they were also pained by the HC observations to explore the possibilities for permanently closing the bench.

On September 16, about 100 advocates had created a ruckus in the corridors of a hall in the Madras HC as suo motu contempt proceedings against two leaders of the Madurai Bar Association were heard in-camera. They also shouted slogans after being barred from entering the hall where the matter was heard by a bench.
The bench had initiated suo motu contempt proceedings against the two in connection with a procession taken out by them in Madurai protesting a HC order making wearing of helmet compulsory and raising slogans against the Judge who had passed the order and also making "defamatory" statements against almost all judges of the court.

On September 14, a group of Madurai-based lawyers, including two women, were arrested after they staged a protest before the CJ's bench demanding that Tamil be made official language in court.
BCI had come down hard on them and on September 23 suspended 15 advocates, including Secretary of Madurai Bar Association A K Ramasamy, and its president P Dharmaraj.
A state-wide boycott call given by some lawyers' bodies on September 28 in protest against the suspension had evoked a mixed response.