Movement of lawyers amid COVID-19 lockdown: State tells Madhya Pradesh High Court that advocates may apply for passes through Bar Association

The Madhya Pradesh High Court today disposed of a plea to permit the movement of lawyers and advocate clerks amid the COVID-19 lockdown in the State after taking note of the State's submission that persons in need of the same can apply for passes with the District Magistrate concerned (Sunil Gupta vs. State of M.P. & others). .The Bench of Chief Justice Mohammad Rafiq and Justice Atul Sreedharan disposed of the plea moved by Advocate Sunil Gupta. .Gupta had urged the Court to direct the authorities to modify COVID-19 lockdown orders issued under Section 144 of the Code of Criminal Procedure (CrPC) so that lawyers and clerks were exempted from the same at least in three districts - Jabalpur, Indore and Gwalior..Appearing for the petitioner, Advocate Siddharth Gupta submitted that lawyers practicing at Bhopal and at the High Court Benches of Jabalpur, Indore and Gwalior were facing difficulties on account of the COVID-19 curfew imposed in the State until May 17. Even though the High Court Benches were functioning virtually, advocates, including assisting juniors and clerks, would still have to attend their offices, it was pointed out. .However, the State told the Court that such grievances would be examined by the District Magistrate upon an appropriate application for a pass..An application can be made online or offline for necessary passes on specified routes, Government Advocate A Rajeshwar Rao submitted. This is to be made through the concerned Bar Association of the lawyer/clerk to the District Magistrate of the area, he added. Upon this being done, the Magistrate will look into the grievance and do the needful, the Court was told..The Bench proceeded to dispose of the matter after recording this position. ."Having regard to the statement made by the learned Government Advocate, instead of keeping this writ petition pending, we dispose of the same with liberty to the advocate(s) concerned to apply to the District Magistrates of Jabalpur, Indore and Gwalior, through the respective Bar Associations, for passes of the advocates, their juniors and advocate's clerks, to enable them to attend their offices during the ongoing lockdown/Corona curfew, for the specified routes, from their residence to office and vice versa, who shall do the needful in that regard as warranted in law," stated the order..[Read the Order]