The Delhi Bar Association (DBA) today strongly opposed the Supreme Court order restraining them from going on strike or boycotting a judge, saying
no authority has the right to check their right to protest.
Reacting sharply to yesterday's apex court order after a woman lawyer raised the issue of safety and security of women advocates practising in trial courts, the DBA said in a press release that they will not succumb to pressure from any corner on the issue of strike or boycott.
"The bar associations are formed to protect the independence and fearless voice of advocates. The Supreme Court or any other authority has no right to restrain any bar association from going on strike or boycotting the court of a judge ....
"The bar will not succumb to any pressure from any corner whatsoever on the issue of strike or boycott. The lawyers are pillars of democracy and have to work fearlessly and therefore cannot be made puppets of anyone," the DBA release said.
DBA Secretary Jaiveer Chauhan, however, said that no strike or boycott will be carried out in the city courts tomorrow and they will attend the hearing in the case of the woman lawyer scheduled in the matter in the apex court.
As judicial work was hit yesterday in the six district courts here -- Patiala House, Tis Hazari, Saket, Rohini, Karkardooma and Dwarka-- due to the lawyers' strike, the apex court had restrained the Delhi's Tis Hazari Court Bar Association from going on strike or boycotting any judge of the court.
The striking lawyers were protesting against alleged false implication of its office bearers in an assault case lodged by a woman lawyer.
The apex court had yesterday directed the Police Commissioner to provide adequate security, preferably by a woman police officer, to the victim lawyer who appeared in person, along with senior advocate Indira Jaising, that she was scared to record her statements in the court.
The woman lawyer had told the court that an incident had taken place on May 4 in which she was manhandled and humiliated by members of bar. She brought the incident to the notice of Additional Sessions Judge Prashant Kumar, who directed registration of an FIR.
She had said that after the court directed the lodging of an FIR, the Bar Association allegedly boycotted the judge and went on strike.
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