Chennai: After the Bar Council of India declared the call given by the Federation of Bar Associations of Tamil Nadu and Pondicherry (FBATP) for boycotting courts on March 24 (Thursday), as illegal and threatened to take action against its office-bearers if they indulge in such activity, FBATP on Wednesday withdrew its boycott call.
The FBATP had on March 21 called for boycott of courts on Thursday against non consideration of advocates practicing in districts in the appointment of judges of the Madras high court. Noticing the same, BCI on Wednesday issued an order declaring the call as illegal and unwarranted and said the office-bearers will be liable to be proceeded with for professional misconduct. A copy of the order was sent to the Bar Council of Tamil Nadu and Pondicherry and FBATP.
In its order, the BCI said recently when the matter with regard to National Judicial Appointments Commission was argued before the Supreme Court, the point of appointment of deserving advocates from district/ civil courts was also suggested. Hundreds of such suggestions were also filed. But, the Apex Court did not entertain this suggestion. Under these circumstances, the call for boycott of courts by FBATP was totally illegal. The BCI had already framed strict rules for checking unnecessary and illegal strikes.
Withdrawing the boycott call, P Paramasivam, chairman of FBATP, said, “We are not aware that this subject matter had been discussed before the Supreme Court as the federation was not a party before Supreme Court.”
