CHENNAI: Lawyers affiliated to several bar associations staged protests in front of the Madras High Court on Friday urging the union government to withhold the three new criminal laws -- Bharathiya Nyay Sanhita, Bharathiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita and Bharathiya Sakshya Adhiniyam.
The Madras High Court Advocates Association staged a demonstration led by its president G Mohana Krishna. Scores of lawyers raised slogans against the new laws.
“The Centre should immediately withdraw the laws. If the government does not heed to our demand, we will mobilise all advocates associations across the state and stage intense protests,” he said.
Vice-president of Bar Council of India S Prabhakaran presided over a demonstration organised by the Federation of Bar Associations of Tamil Nadu and Puducherry.
He urged the Centre to immediately hold consultations with the BCI on bringing revised laws. He also wanted the union government to discuss the matter in Parliament before bringing revised laws.
Women Lawyers Association, led by its president Louisa Ramesh, also staged demonstration. Leaders including N Marappan, president of the Federation of Bar Associations of Tamil Nadu and Puducherry, C Vijayakumar, president of Lawyers Centre for Democracy and Social Causes, and S Sivakumar, state secretary of All India Lawyers Union spoke.
DMK MP writes to UNION law minister
Senior counsel and Rajya Sabha member P Wilson wrote a letter to Union Law Minister Arjun Ram Meghwal, saying that implementation of the three laws will have far reaching implications and a significant impact on every citizen. “They will change the federal relationship and structure between the union and the states,” he said. Pointing out at protests by lawyers across the country, Wilson urged Meghwal to stop the implementation of the laws.