CHENNAI: The Madras High Court on Monday issued orders directing the Bar Council of Tamil Nadu and Puducherry to revoke the suspension of seven advocates against whom disciplinary action was taken for disrupting the functioning of the Central Industrial Security Force (CISF) in the High Court premises.
Eight lawyers were suspended by the Bar Council of Tamil Nadu & Puducherry (BCTN&P) after they staged a protest, claiming that a CISF personnel in plain-clothes had videographed the frisking of a woman advocate by a plain clothed woman personnel on November 20.
Subsequently, the Bar Council of India (BCI), the statutory body governing the legal profession, transferred disciplinary proceedings against the eight advocates to the Bar Council of Karnataka.
Meanwhile, hearing the writ petition from seven of the advocates, a Division Bench of Justices V. Ramasubramanian and K. Ravichandrabaabu directed the state bar council to pass the orders of revocation in a week’s time.
However, this order cannot be applied blindfolded to all other lawyers under suspension, the order stated adding “We are not interfering with the disciplinary proceedings pending before the Karnataka State Bar council.” The judges noted that the petitioners have suffered interim prohibitory orders for more than 100 days and have filed affidavits assuring that the lawful functioning of CISF in High court will not be disturbed by any act on their part.
While doing so, the judges also observed that the action initiated by the Bar Council of India and State Bar Council has also restored discipline. “One good thing that has turned out of the entire episode, is that the lawyers, who preferred to issue boycott calls at the drop of a hat, have taken recourse to legal remedies,” the order stated.