[COVID-19] BCI writes to Supreme Court seeking medical facilities for advocates, judges, their staff and families

The Bar Council of India (BCI) has written to the Chief Justice of India NV Ramana and the other judges of the Supreme Court seeking a direction to the Union and State governments to provide sufficient medical facilities to advocates, judges, their staff and families amid the COVID-19 pandemic..The letter begins with a request to treat the BCI's demands as a separate PIL to be listed today or tomorrow, or as an interlocutory petition in the suo motu matter being heard by the apex court..Noting the losses suffered by the legal fraternity over the past few weeks, the letter reads,"In the last few weeks, the Bar in the country starting from Supreme Court to the trial courts has lost many eminent and brilliant Advocates and Judges. This is a huge loss not only to the Bar and Bench, but, to the society also and administration of justice as a whole. During pandemic, advocates, judges and court staff are also relentlessly working and serving the society like doctors, medical workers, police and media people."."The advocates, though not special citizens, are important part of the society and frontline workers and stakeholders in the matter of dispensation of justice, like judges," the letter goes on to state..The letter highlights many instances reported from various parts of the country where several thousands of lawyers have died owing to shortage of oxygen, insufficient number of ambulances, non-availability of beds in hospitals, etc..Adding that PILs are mostly dealing with bigger cities, the Council states that "the precarious conditions prevailing at remote places and the harrowing conditions of the advocates and their families" is not being considered..India lives in villages and 80% of lawyers and their families live in District and Taluka headquarters. Therefore, we shall have to think about the lawyers residing in remote places also.states the letter..The following requests have thus been made:High Courts be directed to appoint District Judges or any other officer (not below the rank of Additional District Judge) as nodal officers for every district to deal with the matters relating to advocates, judicial officers, their families and staff in need of medical facilities. For advocates practicing in the Supreme Court and the High Court, the nodal officer can be the Registrar General of the apex court and the High Courts respectivelyIn case any nodal officer is over burdened with work, more than one such nodal officer(s) may be designated for the purpose by the Supreme Court/High Court(s).The state governments and district administration be directed to provide oxygen cylinders and ensure the oxygen supply for any advocate, judicial officer or their family or staff on the recommendation made by the concerned State Bar Council/Bar Association to the nodal officers; if the advocate is capable to manage the illness at his home.Oxygen bed or ICU bed in hospital or life saving treatment like Remdesivir/ventilator etc., should be provided immediately to advocates and judicial officers on the recommendation of the concerned nodal officer.Any negligence, disregard or violation of the order of the nodal officer is to be treated as contempt of court; and the High Courts may be requested to initiate appropriate proceedings without any delay..The Council has also attached a resolution passed on May 5 wherein it had registered the plight of the advocates and judicial officers situated all across the country. In its resolution, the BCI had resolved to write to the Supreme Court seeking remedial steps..[Read Letter]