The Allahabad High Court on Wednesday said it will recommend disciplinary and contempt of court proceedings against lawyers who interrupted its proceedings by raising slogans in the court corridors [Devendra Kumar v State of UP]
The order was passed by Justice Arun Kumar Singh Deshwal who happened to hear the sloganeering and ruckus.
The lawyers were protesting against the alleged ill-treatment of a lawyer by another judge, Justice Ajay Bhanot. During the protest, the lawyers allegedly broke furniture and other items inside courtroom number 49 where Justice Bhanot was holding court.
Justice Arun Kumar Singh Deshwal heard the sloganeering while he was hearing a bail matter.
Justice Deshwal was informed that lawyers present in the corridor were protesting against the ill-treatment of a lawyer. Justice Deshwal then observed that the lawyers were interrupting the court proceedings.
"Such incident amounts to interference in the Court proceedings as poor litigants come to the High Court for redressal of their grievance, and merely because some of the Advocates have problem with particular Court, they cannot be permitted to raise slogans, shout and disturb to other Courts' proceedings and use such words which is in the nature to intimidate the Court. This is wholly unjustified," the bench said
The Court added that the conduct of the lawyers was absolutely contemptuous. It directed the Registrar (Protocol) to check the CCTV footage of the particular area outside its courtroom and identify the advocates involved in sloganeering.
"After identifying the Advocates, the matter may be referred to the Bar Council of U.P. for initiation of disciplinary proceedings as well as initiating the contempt proceedings against them," Justice Deshwal ordered.
The matter will be heard next on November 19.
[Read Order]