Karnataka HC asks advocate association to cough up Rs 500 per case

BENGALURU: Justice Anand Byrareddy of the high court on Friday imposed a penalty of Rs 500 on the Advocates Association of Bengaluru for each case that came up before him. The judge held the association responsible for causing a loss to the exchequer by asking lawyers to abstain from work. The judge directed the registrar-general to recover the amount and use coercive measures, if necessary. Barring a few, most cases on the list were adjourned for want of advocates. "... There is almost nil attendance by counsel before this court today. It is also noticed that advocates are physically being prevented from entering court halls by counsel supporting the boycott call. This has rendered court proceedings unfruitful, at enormous cost to the exchequer...," the judge said in his order. Lawyers shun courts: Proceedings in various courts were hampered as advocates boycotted work. Even in the high court, very few matters could be taken up. However, a special division bench heard a PIL on the city's garbage woes for nearly 90 minutes as top BBMP officials shed light on the steps they've taken to improve the situation. But no orders were passed. Justice Ram Mohan Reddy suggested that advocates make their submissions from their offices via skype, so that a strike-like situation could be avoided. In the civil court, family court and magistrate court, proceedings were affected in a big way. Just before noon, members of AAB held a protest march against the government's decision to reject the CBI's request for a sanction to prosecute 54 police officials for their alleged role in the attack on advocates on March 2, 2012. On May 28, 2015, the home department rejecting the request.