Punjab and Haryana HC Bar Association Boycotts Court of Chief Justice

On Monday, The Punjab and Haryana High Court Bar Association (HCBA) boycotted the Court of Chief Justice Ravi Shanker Jha demanding his transfer to another High Court.

The decision was taken at a General House Meeting of the Punjab High Court Bar Association, Chandigarh on Monday. Physical hearings in the High Court has been suspended since March 21,2020. Now, when schools, universities, gyms, movie theatres, malls, religious and political gatherings are all fully functional, Continuous delay in the resumption of work and Physical High Court Proceedings forced Bar Association to opt for other methods.

“The continuous closure of the Punjab and Haryana High Court, which is the custodian of the Constitution and protector of fundamental rights is sending the wrong signal in the society apart from taking away the livelihood of lawyers, stenos, clerks and other persons associated with the legal field and has become a continuous means of a denial of justice,” the Bar Association said.

In accordance with the resolution, all the members present at the meeting spoke unanimously in favor of the immediate opening of the courts physically. Not a single Member went against the motion even after repeated requests for any contrary opinion.

The member-Advocates have decided to boycott the Chief Justice’s Court until Courts are resumed physically in complete sense or his transfer takes place.

The Chief Justice of India and Union Law Ministry shall be requested to immediately transfer the Chief Justice of Punjab & Haryana High Court, Chandigarh to any other High Court.

“The Executive Committee of HCBA would only meet the Hon’ble Judges, Bar & Bench Co-ordination Committee and Hon’ble the Chief Justice and would not attend a meeting where the State representatives i.e. Advocate Generals, Additional Solicitor General, Standing Counsel of U.T. are present,” the Resolution states.

Furthermore, it is submitted that all those members of the Bar who, notwithstanding the appeal of the HCBA Executive Committee, appear before the

Chief Justice's Court shall be liable to be debarred from the Bar Association. For allegedly behaving against Bar’s interest and operating against physical hearings, The Bar has even suspended Advocated General Atul Nanda.