Lawyers Can’t Go on Strike or Decline Judicial Work, Says Supreme Court

The Supreme Court of India on Thursday has passed a directive stating that lawyers are not allowed to go on strike or refuse to work.

The court has directed all high courts to establish a grievance amendment committee at the state level, led by the chief justice. This committee will provide a forum where lawyers can represent genuine problems that require amendments.

The bench, headed by Justices M.R Shah and Ahsanuddin Amanullah, stated that district court-level committees should also be formed to provide a platform for lawyers to seek redress for genuine grievances related to procedural changes in filing or listing of cases or misbehavior of members of the lower judiciary.

The court emphasized that lawyers going on strike or abstaining from work hampers judicial work, and reemphasized that no member of the bar can go on strike.

The court dismissed an application filed by the District Bar Association of Dehradun seeking an appropriate forum for amendments to their complaints and directed the registry to send the copy of the order to the registrar general of all high courts to take steps in accordance with the order.

Justice Shah, who enunciated the order, said that if members of the bar have genuine grievances or face difficulty because of procedural changes or misbehavior of members of the lower judiciary, they can make a representation for amendment of genuine grievances by some forum to avoid such strikes.

The Supreme Court has requested all high courts to constitute a grievance amendment committee in their respective high courts, headed by the chief justice, and consisting of two other senior judges, one each from the judicial services and the bar.

The committee should also include the advocate general of the state, chairman of the bar council of the state, and the president of the high court bar association.

This directive from the Supreme Court is aimed at ensuring that the judicial system functions smoothly without any hindrance due to strikes by lawyers.

The grievance amendment committees will provide a platform for lawyers to address their genuine concerns and complaints, thereby minimizing the chances of strikes and abstentions from work.

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