Bar Council of Punjab and Haryana has requested Chief Justice, Punjab and Haryana High Court, to start physical hearing in 50% courts simultaneously with virtual hearing by October 12. Bar Council said if this doesn’t happen, it will have no other option except to resort to peaceful agitation.
Bar Council issued the statement, “Under unlock-5 guidelines, even theatres and education institutes are allowed to re-open and w.e.f. from 15.10.2020, whereby almost all commercial and other institutions have been allowed to start functioning. The Parliament and the State Assemblies had their sessions. The states where the impact of Covid-19 was more severe than Punjab and Haryana have their Hon’ble High Courts starting physical hearing of the cases. Majority of the members of legal fraternity are entirely dependent upon the noble profession to sustain their families, except handful of senior designate advocates who are thriving and common advocate is suffering.”
Saying that there is wide spread feeling of frustration among advocates of Punjab, Haryana and Chandigarh, the Bar Council requested the Hon’ble Chief Justice to at least start physical hearing in 50% courts simultaneously with virtual hearing.
“The Bar Council is sending this representation on behalf of all the Advocates of Punjab, Haryana and Chandigarh with hope that the Hon’ble Chief Justice will heed to the request otherwise, the Bar Council will have no other option except to resort to peaceful agitation. The Bar Council will hand over a memorandum to the Hon’ble Governors of Punjab and Haryana on 12.10.2020 before resorting to agitation in anticipation of some tangible solution to the problems being faced by the legal fraternity and common man. The following methods would be adopted to peacefully and democratically press for their demands.
1. Chain hunger strike w.e.f 13.10.2020 in which every day five advocates will sit in the high court premises as well as in the Districts Courts.
2. If the physical functioning of the court is not started in phased manner, w.e.f 26.10.2020, then the advocates would restrain attending virtual courts.”
