Clash with cops: Lawyers of Delhi HC, lower courts to protest today

New Delhi: Advocates in the Delhi High Court and all district courts have decided to abstain from work on Monday to protest against the clash between lawyers and police at Tis Hazari Court on Saturday.

The lawyers said they would not participate in any of the judicial work and only proxy counsel would appear in the courts to take dates in various matters.

Delhi High Court Bar Association president Mohit Mathur said they have requested all members to abstain from work on Monday as a mark of protest.

"Proxy counsel will be there in the courts to take dates. We are not forcing anyone, we have only requested the members," he said.

Advocate Jaiveer Singh Chauhan, secretary of Tis Hazari Bar Association, said a meeting would be held on Monday to decide the future course of action.

"Strike will be held in all the district courts from 10 am. The strike will continue till all the culprits are arrested, Chauhan said. He further said that lawyers' strike will also be observed in courts in Rajasthan, Punjab, Madhya Pradesh, Bihar, Telangana, Andhra Pradesh and Kerala, some parts of Haryana and Uttar Pradesh.

Advocate Mahavir Sharma, chairman of coordination committee of all bar associations of district courts here, said it was an assault on the entire judicial system and the strike would continue till police officials who fired at the advocates were arrested. This is not simply an assault on an advocate. It is an assault on the judicial system. If the system remains intact and powerful, only then justice can be delivered. The police fired without any such situation. It was a trivial issue of parking.

Advocates are bound to be present on court's premises. If such incidents continue, how can we work? In district courts it will continue and end only when the culprits, whosoever fired at the advocates, are arrested, Sharma said.