The Jharkhand High Court on
Wednesday asked the Bar Council of India, the state government, and others to file their responses on the steps taken to assist needy advocates across courts in the state.
The direction comes days after the Jharkhand High Court Advocates Association gave Rs 5,000 each to needy lawyers who had sought financial assistance from it in the wake of the coronavirus-triggered nationwide lockdown.
A division bench, comprising Chief Justice Dr Ravi Ranjan and Justice Sujit Narayan Prasad, directed the Jharkhand government to file its response whether any legislation has been formulated for the benefit of advocates clerks of different courts in Jharkhand, including the high court.
"If yes, then details should be filed as to how it is being implemented," the bench said, posting the next date for hearing on April 27.
Hearing a bunch of petitions, the bench observed that all the writ petitions "have common cause, pertaining to grant of financial aid to the advocates and advocates clerks working in the High Court of Jharkhand and the district courts within the state of Jharkhand, with consent of the parties, are being considered together."
The parties were asked to exchange their respective replies through email.
"Since the State Bar Council has already framed a scheme known as Special Welfare Scheme, 2020 which has come into existence with effect from 06.04.2020...let the State Bar Council also file its response as to what steps it has taken to provide assistance to the needy advocates and what is the position of the fund available to the State Bar Council.
"It goes without saying that since the state government has already come up with a policy to assist all the needy persons who are not in a position to maintain themselves by providing them with food, ration etc, it should not exclude such needy advocates or advocates clerks," the bench said.
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