Jammu Bar calls off 43-day long strike, to resume work from December 18

The Jammu chapter of the Jammu and Kashmir High Court Bar Association called off its 43-day long strike on Friday and announced that it will resume work from December 18.

The development comes a day after the Jammu and Kashmir High Court issued notices to four advocates spearheading the stir, seeking their stand on why the contempt of court proceedings be not launched against them.

The union territory administration had also appealed to the agitating lawyers to call off the protest in the interest of people and assured that sincere efforts will be made to address their concerns.

The lawyers in Jammu region went on an indefinite strike on November 1 against the government's decision to divest the judicial courts of its powers to register various documents and vest the same with the revenue department.

"The JKHCBA, Jammu has decided to call off the ongoing agitation on the assurance given by the administration in the meeting held on December 10 and will resume work in all the court including the High Court from December 18," a statement issued by the association said after a five-hour long meeting of its General House.

The General House also discussed the suo moto show cause notice issued by the division bench to some of the protesting lawyers and was of the view that the notice needs to be contested by the Bar unitedly, the statement said.

On Wednesday, a bench of Chief Justice Gita Mittal and Justice Rajesh Bindal issued notices to lawyers and sought their replies within two weeks. The bench has fixed January 20 as the next date of hearing.

K K Sharma, advisor to Lt Governor G C Murmu, had on Thursday met the representatives of the agitating lawyers and said the authority of the registration have been vested to revenue officers in the union territory in line with the practice in the rest of the country under the Central Registration Act, 1908.