SC forms five-judge panel to address SCBA's grievance

The Supreme Court Bar Association today decided to defer its decision to boycott official functions involving judges after the Supreme Court constituted a five-judge committee to address their grievances.
The decision was arrived at in a General Body meeting of the Supreme Court Bar Association (SCBA) which was held today.
One of the senior advocates had opposed the decision to boycott and written a letter to the association's President Dushyant Dave accusing him of "spoiling the cordial relationship between the bench and bar".
The grievance committee, formed by Chief Justice of India H L Dattu, comprises Justices Anil R Dave, J S Khehar, Dipak Misra, R F Nariman and U U Lalit to look into the grievances of the SCBA.

The General Body unanimously resolved to defer for six weeks, consideration of its demands in view of the letter by officiating Secretary General M K Hanjura that the CJI has constituted a grievance committee comprising of five judges to look into the grievances of the SCBA, the association said in a statement here.
Yesterday, senior advocate Adish Agarwala wrote a letter to Dave against his decision to boycott official functions involving judges till December 2 this year in protest of their demands not being met.

Agarwala, in the letter, alleged that the date of December 2 was chosen as the current CJI would retire on that day and Dave has a "personal enmity with him".

He said that if Dave was concerned about the demands of the SCBA members then he should decide to go on strike.
Agarwala had also opposed the venue of the general body meeting, saying it lacked the space to accommodate more than 10,000 members of SCBA and it could cater to only 125 persons.
He also said that a notice of the meeting was not circulated as per SCBA rules.
The SCBA had yesterday announced its decision to boycott the official functions till its demands relating to chamber allotment, designation of seniors, functioning of Supreme Court registry, listing of matters by the registry, treatment of clerks, facilities for senior citizens and women lawyers, among others, were not met.

The circular for today's meeting was issued yesterday to the SCBA members.