Chennai: Various Advocates Associations of the Madras High Court on Monday held a rally protesting against the amendments made to existing rules under the Advocates Act. They requested the High Court Chief Justice Sanjay Kishan Kaul to interfere and withdraw the amendments.
About 2,000 lawyers from across the state took part in the rally, protesting the new set of disciplinary rules framed by the Madras High Court as per the Supreme Court verdict in the RK Anand case of 2009.
RC Paul Kanagaraj, President of Madras High Court Advocates Association said the amended rules should be withdrawn unconditionally as it puts the advocate's profession in peril. Leaders who spoke at the rally said that if their demand was not met, they will announce boycott.
A resolution was passed after the rally stating that the amended rules were against the "fair and free functioning of the judiciary and will ultimately affect the rights of advocates and the people at large". There was no transparent and fair consultation and discussion with the bar across the state before framing such rules, it said.
It requested the Chief Justice to call for a dialogue between the Bar and the Bench and evolve effective mechanisms to identify the key issues hampering the effective functioning of the Judicial Institution and prepare both short and long term plans and program to amicably settle all the issues.
On May 25, the High Court had issued a notification making amendments to existing rules under the Advocates Act with a view to ensuring peaceful conduct of court proceedings and suggesting disciplinary action to be taken against erring advocates.
The notification issued by the Registrar General of the High Court said: In exercise of powers conferred by Section 34(1) of Advocates Act, the court "makes the following amendments to the existing rules. The amendments shall come into force with effect from the date of publication".
It said the court has power under 14-A of Advocates Act to debar advocates who indulge in activities such as trying to influence a judge or participates in a procession inside court campus or holds placards inside the court hall, among others.
Such advocates shall be debarred from appearing before the high court or subordinate courts permanently or for such period as the court may think fit and the Registrar General shall thereupon report it to the Bar Council of Tamil Nadu, it said.
It said where any such misconduct referred to under Rule 14-A is committed by any advocate before the High Court, the court shall have the power to initiate action against the advocate concerned and debar him from appearing before the court and all subordinate Courts.
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