Calcutta HC Proceedings Delayed Amid Trinamool Advocates’ Protest

The activities in the Calcutta High Court were delayed or obstructed after many lawyers close to the ruling political party, Trinamool Congress, prohibited hearings in protest against the three new criminal laws that is implemented on 1st July 2024.

The 3 new criminal laws are Bharatiya Nyay Sanhita, Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita, and Bharatiya Sakshya Adhiniyam, which replaced the Indian Penal Code, the Code of Criminal Procedure, and the Indian Evidence Act, respectively.

Proceedings could not occur in various cases in the high court as a number of advocates close to the ruling political party got absent when their cases came up for hearing. In other cases, only the advocate representing one side was at the court at the time of the hearing, and the other side was absent.

The proceedings in the division bench of Chief Justice T.S. Sivagnanam and Justice Hiranmay Bhattacharya were troubled as many cases could not be heard because of the absence of the advocates.

In a few cases where the state government is a party, the counsel expected to represent the state was absent when the issue came up for hearing. The boycotting lawyers were close to the Trinamool Congress and said they are against the three new criminal laws as their execution does not show the opinions of the legal fraternity at large.

They also stated that the boycott was a symbolic protest, and they will continue to oppose the three new laws in the days to come. But advocates known to be close to the CPI (M) said that abstaining from hearings is not a solution as it can lead to harassment for the petitioners.

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