BAU Lawyers Strikes: SC Proposes Formation of Grievance Redressal Committees at HCs

The Supreme Court recently proposed the formation of grievance redressal committees at High Courts to address the issue of lawyers strikes and to take necessary action against them.

A Bench of Justice MR Shah and Justice Ahsanuddin Amanullah orally observed the need for such committees while reserving its order in a matter involving strikes by Bar Associations of Uttarakhand.

“We will say High Courts should have grievance redressal committees consisting of Chief Justice and four senior judges,” the bench stated.

The proposal is approved by the Senior Advocate Manan Kumar Mishra, counsel for the Bar Council Of India.

The petitioners claimed that the Dehradun, Haridwar, and Udham Singh Nagar District Bar Associations had been engaging in the practice for up to 35 years.

The Supreme Court ruled in 2020 that the same cannot be justified and is not protected by the Constitution’s Article 19(1)(a) guarantee of freedom of speech or expression.

The District Bar Associations had received criticism from the Court for continuing this practice for 35 years, noting that the ultimate victim of these strikes is the litigant.