The Madhya Pradesh High Court has directed all the advocates throughout the State of Madhya Pradesh are hereby directed to attend to their court work forthwith.
They shall represent their clients in the respective cases before the respective courts forthwith, the court order of March 24, 2023 said.
The lawyers abstained from the court proceedings on Thursday and Friday (March 23 and 24).
A division bench comprising Chief Justice Ravi Malimath and Justice Vishal Mishra took suo motu action on a public interest litigation has been initiated as a result of the communication by the Chairman of the State Bar Council of Madhya Pradesh asking the entire lawyer community in the State of Madhya Pradesh to abstain from court work w.e.f. 23.03.2023.
The letter dated 20.03.2023, the Chairman of the State Bar Council of Madhya Pradesh addressed a communication to the Hon’ble Chief Justice to the effect that unless the scheme relating to disposal of 25 identified cases in every quarter is not withdrawn by 22.03.2023 they would protest the issue seriously. It is further stated therein that the general body in its meeting held on 18.03.2023 has unanimously resolved that if the Hon’ble High Court does not withdraw the scheme pertaining to disposal of 25 oldest cases up to 22.03.2023, all the lawyers in the State of Madhya Pradesh will collectively protest and will abstain from judicial work w.e.f. 23.03.2023, the court order said.
The court order said “If any lawyer deliberately avoids to attend the court, it shall be presumed that there is disobedience of this order and he
will be faced with serious consequences including initiation of
proceedings for contempt of court under the Contempt of
Courts Act”.
If any lawyer prevents any other lawyer from attending the
court work, the same would be considered as disobedience of
these directions and he will be faced with serious
consequences including initiation of proceedings under the
Contempt of Courts Act.”
