BENGALURU: Protesting against the Supreme Court Collegium’s recommendation to transfer four judges of the High Court of Karnataka, advocates abstained from the proceedings in the Principal Bench of the High Court in Bengaluru on Wednesday.
In the morning, a large number of advocates were present in most court halls and Advocates’ Association of Bengaluru (AAB) members urged them to boycott the proceedings. This led to arguments between the members and advocates, who did not want to boycott proceedings in the interest of litigants. Some advocates appeared through video conferencing.
An advocate told a division bench that it was difficult to appear as AAB was insisting on the boycott and there were scuffles over the issue. AAB president Vivek Subba Reddy entered several court halls with other office-bearers when the proceedings were under way and in raised voices asked advocates to leave. The judges had to halt court proceedings for a while and resume later.
Reddy later apologised before a division bench of Chief Justice N V Anjaria and Justice K V Aravind. “It is an emotional issue for advocates. The cases should not be affected because of the absence of advocates. They are doing it for public interest,” he said. Later, when AAB office bearers asked government advocates leave the court halls, an advocate told them not to embarrass her with such requests.
Many advocates chose to appear through video conference to avoid the boycott call. In some court halls, judges asked AAB members not to obstruct proceedings. Some advocates returned to court halls later and attended proceedings.
In some court halls, proceedings were conducted in the presence of only litigants and government advocates. Even bail matters were heard and relief was granted in the absence of advocates for the accused, after hearing the prosecution.