Plea in HC for contempt action against lawyers who 'disrespected' court during CAA protest hearing

Several advocates asked the Delhi High Court on Friday to take contempt of court action against those lawyers who used derogatory words against judges during the hearing of several PILs relating to violence at Jamia Millia Islamia University.

Senior advocates Chetan Sharma and Sanjay Poddar, several central government standing counsels, including Anil Soni, Ripudaman Singh Bhardwaj, Ajay Digpaul, Vivek Goyal and Arun Bhardwaj, and leaders of the Bar including Abhijat were at the forefront of the lawyers who urged the high court to, on its own, take cognisance of the "disrespectful" and "derogatory" conduct towards the judiciary.

After hearing the lawyers, a bench of Chief Justice D N Patel and Justice C Hari Shankar said it will refer the matter to one of its relevant committees which will deliberate on what needs to be done.

On Thursday, several lawyers appearing in petitions filed in relation to violence at Jamia university, during a protest against the amended Citizenship Act, had used derogatory words against the bench when it declined to grant interim protection to students from arrest.

Sharma said use of derogatory words against the judges was "sacrilege" of the judiciary and "a lesson has to go" that such conduct would not be tolerated.

He urged the court to "take suo motu (on its own) contempt action against these lawyers to prevent repetition of such an event in future".

Poddar said such conduct amounts to "disrespecting the judiciary and the bar" and action needs to be taken.

The central government standing counsels urged the bench to "take strict action against whosoever used the derogatory words".

They also asked the court to direct the Bar Council of India to take action against the errant lawyers.

They said the CCTV footage from cameras inside the court can be used to identify the persons who were using the derogatory words.