Chennai: Tension gripped the Madras High Court on Monday as several thousand advocates from across the State picketed the campus demanding that the Court withdraw its May notification to amend the Advocates Act which empowers the debarring of erring lawyers.
A huge posse of the State police was in place in front of the designated high security zone of the Madras High Court. The cops defending their barricades thwarted the advocates’ attempt to gatecrash and bring their party onto the campus.
Vehicles, both four-wheelers and two-wheelers, were denied entry to the campus, with only Judges’ cars allowed inside. Initially anyone carrying a valid card was allowed entry, but this changed after 9 am when entry into the campus was further restricted. Only the advocates and litigants whose cases were listed in the cause list for the day were allowed inside.
Separate counters were opened to check whether their cases were found in the cause list according to their claims and the advocates were allowed into the Court Hall only after thorough verification. While there was so much activity outside the campus, the camps wore a predominant deserted look inside.
As the crowd of protesting advocates began to swell, the police closed all the doors except for the one near Esplanade police station. In the meantime, the assembled lot of advocates near the Madras Bar Association (MBA) gate and Aavin gate tried to force their way into the High Court campus in vain.
A strong contingent of local police force, which was already in place, stonewalled the advocates' attempts. The lawyers also took out a rally on NSC Bose road raising slogans condemning the office bearers of Central and State Bar Councils and demanded that the High court withdraw the notification.
The outstation advocates who had gathered from other districts squatted on Muthusamy Road, launching their stir from 10.15 am. Later in the day, this junction became the congregation point for the lawyers who were protesting in front of Aavin gate and MBA gate.
The protests did not impede the High Court proceedings but hearings and other allied work came to a grinding halt in the City Civil Sessions Courts, NDPS Court, CBI Courts, and Family Courts. Most of the cases were adjourned since lawyers, litigants, and petitioners were absent.
