Verdict reserved on batch of PILs on lawyers' boycott

The Karnataka High Court today reserved its verdict on a batch of PILs seeking to initiate action against advocates boycotting the court proceedings in violation of the Supreme Court's directives and for framing of rules to prevent such boycotts.
The division bench headed by Chief Justice D H Waghela reserved its judgement after completion arguments on the petitions filed by social activist Vishwanath Swamy and others.
The bench earlier headed by then acting Chief Justice K Sreedhar Rao had directed the Registry to issue notices to all the advocates' associations asking them to file objections.
Notices were supposed to be served to all the advocates' associations in 30 districts and 187 taluks.

As no other advocates' associations other than the Advocates' Association of Bangalore appeared before the court, the Bench had directed the Registry to place the necessary records to show that notices have been served to all the advocates' associations on the record before the next hearing.
The PILs had been filed seeking action against the advocates who boycotted the court proceedings after the violence that broke out in the City Civil Court Complex in the city on March 2, 2012.
Swamy had contended that the apex court had held that boycotting court proceedings amounts to interfering with the administration of justice, breach of trust on the part of the lawyers, as they would not be representing the interests of their clients and also misconduct.

He had suggested that a Grievance Redressal Committee, consisting of one of the judges of the High Court, the state's Advocate General, one woman advocate, one senior advocate, Chairman of Karnataka Bar Council, Advocates Association President and others be set up to address the grievances of the advocates.