BCI, SCBA ask CJI to stop order to jail cub lawyer

NEW DELHI: The Bar Council of India (BCI) and the Supreme Court Bar Association (SCBA) on Wednesday have urged CJI Surya Kant to urgently intervene after an Andhra Pradesh HC judge decides to send a young lawyer to 24-hour judicial custody, despite his repeated pleas for mercy over a purported misdemeanour.

BCI president Manan Kumar Mishra wrote to CJI: “Incidents of this nature have a chilling effect upon young members of the Bar. They create fear in their minds. The dignity of the court is not enhanced when a lawyer is made to beg for grace in open court and is still sent to custody for a procedural lapse.”

Based on a video of the incident in HC on social media, SCBA, led by its president Vikas Singh, passed a resolution on Wednesday.

Any action that causes fear, humiliation or intimidation amongst young advocates has the potential to adversely impact the independence of the Bar and the optimal operation of justice delivery system,” the SCBA resolution read.

SCBA requested the CJI to call for relevant records from the HC and take corrective measures on administrative side in the interest of preserving public confidence in judiciary and maintaining cordial Bar-Bench relations. BCI's Misra, too, made a similar request.