Chief Justice: Even if I am shot, you can’t deny representation to accused in Court

June 16, 2019:

The division bench of Chief Justice Ramesh Ranganathan and Justice Alok Kumar Verma remarked that everyone has a right to representation in court.

Uttarakhand high court on Thursday, while hearing a public interest litigation, came down heavily on Uttarakhand Bar Council and Kotdwar district Bar Association for barring its members from representing the accused in court in connection with a murder case of a lawyer.

“Even if someone shoots me, you cannot deny to represent the accused in court,” said the Chief Justice. He added that even a dreaded terrorist like Ajmal Amir Kasab of Mumbai attacks in November 2008, was provided a lawyer to represent him in court.

Kartikey Hari Gupta, counsel for the petitioner in the matter told TOI, "The honorable court is very serious on this issue. According to Advocates Act, 1961 and Bar Council Rules, it's our bounden duty to represent our client before the court without any fear and under all circumstances."

The bench issued urgent notices to Bar Association, Kotdwar and sought urgent reply from Bar Council of Uttarakhand and Bar Council of India in the matter.

The PIL was filed by a practising advocate of Pauri district against a resolution of Kotdwar Bar Association which banned lawyers from taking up the case of an accused in an alleged murder of a lawyer, named Sushil Raghuvanshi, in 2017.

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