Senior lawyers meet CJ of Gujarat HC over bar president's outburst in court

Ahmedabad: Days after the Gujarat High Court deprecated "utter disrespect" shown by the president of its Advocates' Association, a group of senior lawyers met Chief Justice Sunita Agarwal in the court on Monday and emphasised the need to maintain dignity and decorum of the institution.

The bench of Chief Justice Agarwal had January 17 (Friday) noted that advocate Brijesh Trivedi, the elected president of the Gujarat High Court Advocates' Association, was trying to "browbeat the court in order to seek adjournment" in a 2011 PIL and that his behaviour was "unethical" and showed his "utter disrespect towards the institution".

Expressing the view of lawyers present in the court regarding the January 17 incident, Advocate General Kamal Trivedi expressed the need for "a mutual, cohesive atmosphere, respect, and coordination between the bar and the bench".

"First and foremost, dignity and decorum of this august institution should be maintained at any cost. Secondly, I sincerely feel, and perhaps all should agree with me, that the administration of justice should be protected from being maligned," he told the court.

He called for "a mutual, cohesive atmosphere, respect, and coordination between the bar and the bench".

"I sincerely feel lawyers should not run down the honourable court, nor should lawyers be run down unnecessarily," the advocate general said.

Trivedi further said the incident should not have happened, and care needs to be taken to ensure it doesn't recur.

He said, "This is an august institution having a history of more than 60 years. We have not witnessed this kind of atmosphere." At this, Chief Justice Agarwal said she was grateful the lawyers recognised that all efforts should be taken to ensure the institution is not put down.

"All senior members of the bar are as much officers of the court as judges in the institution. I, as the chief justice, strongly believe in deliberations between lawyers and judges. In case of any kind of difficulties, they can always come to me. But, obviously, I am so grateful for all of you that you have recognised that all effort should be made and that the institution should not be put down," she said.

While hearing a 2011 PIL on January 17, the Chief Justice said the court was not inclined to postpone the hearing. Despite this, advocate Brijesh Trivedi, who represented the applicant, insisted on postponing the matter.

When the court declined his prayer after noting that there have been repeated adjournments based on his and other lawyers' leave notes, Brijesh Trivedi started making "irrelevant submissions" and levelled "allegations against the functioning of the court," the court noted in its order.

The lawyer even commanded the bench to recuse from the matter by agitating that the court was not permitting him to make his arguments.

He left the dais in the middle of the hearing without seeking permission, the court noted.

"The manner in which Mr Trivedi has acted, as a whole, gave a clear indication that he was trying to misuse his position as the elected president of the Bar for creating his nuisance value in the court," it said.

It stated that the lawyer's conduct was nothing but an effort to browbeat the court in order to seek adjournment and create undue pressure by making reckless allegations when the court was only insisting on arguments on the merits of the case." The court then deprecated this conduct of the Bar President as "being unethical".

When contacted, lawyer Brijesh Trivedi refused to comment, saying the matter was sub-judice.