On Friday, in its Press Release, the Bar Council of India has shown grave concern on the synchronized attacks being directed towards the Apex Court.
Condemning the same, the BCI has regarded the statements made by some lawyers and retired Judges criticizing the Supreme Court, as a conspiracy to browbeat the institution.
It has termed the state of affairs as sad and disheartening and mentioned that the Indian Bar is worried about the outcome of such 'unscrupulous attacks' and cleared that the Bar would ensure that the Judiciary is not weakened in the face of these attacks.
Calling it an unprecedented event, the BCI recalled never in the history of the Indian Judiciary have such attacks been witnessed.
It remarked:
"The sustained and synchronized attack on the Supreme Court by some senior advocates and former judges is a conspiracy to weaken and browbeat the institution. Never before in the history of the country has such a concerted attack by some disgruntled members of the bar and some unhappy and disappointed former judges has been witnessed."
The BCI has registered its objection to an opinion piece penned by Justice (retd.) Madan Lokur on The Wire in which he has allegedly given an "F" Grade to the Supreme Court in its handling of the migrant workers issue amid pandemic as the issue remained in Centre in the lockdown period.
The BCI said that it was Justice Lokur who once said that nobody should indulge in activities that would shake the faith of the public in the judiciary. However, his recent take on the Supreme Court suggests that he has joined this 'group of misguided people'.
The BCI is of the opinion that penning down article of such nature at a time when the Supreme Court has taken suo motu cognizance of the crisis is even more disgraceful. Such a move, it said, is an attempt to influence the Court to 'toe a specific line' which would 'fulfill the agenda to defame the government.'
The press statement says that for a few years, 'a handful of people' have indulged in making reckless statements against athe Highest Court in the country and has criticized it every now and then.
It added:
"This is done to settle their political agenda by training their guns against the judiciary, but, they have consistently failed in achieving their morbid designs. Such lot of people are frustrated and aggrieved with the government, but they have been making unsuccessful attempts to utilize the forum of Apex Court to settle the score."
The BCI made a veiled reference to Senior Counsel and President of the Supreme Court Bar Association, Dushyant Dave, and his recent point of view on the Supreme Court's standing on migrant workers and passing of suggestions that the Apex Court should have been more proactive, and said that he has not only not read Article 14 of the Constitution but has also not read the bye-laws of the SCBA Rules.
The tiff between the BCI and the SCBA over removal of Advocate Ashok Arora from the position of SCBA's Secretary was also catching headline off lately in view of which the BCI said so.
The BCI termed this alleged indulgence of the former members of the Judiciary in making comments critical of the institution as 'unfortunate' and suggested that these Judges are sour for not having secured a plum posting or desired berth after superannuation.
It thus said:
Such people should join politics and go in public directly and face the common mass of this country. The people will deal with them properly.
Read Press Release Here:
