HC asks Bar Council to explain how it intends to rein in unruly advocates

HC asks Bar Council to explain how it intends to rein in unruly advocates

Sureshkumar.K@timesgroup.com

Chennai:16.06.2021

Lawyers defying law-enforcers beware. Madras high court has redflagged the ‘practice’ of lawyers picking up fight with police and other law enforcing agency personnel, and has directed the Bar Council of Tamil Nadu and Puducherry to explain what mechanism did it have in place to rein in unruly advocates.

“It is a harsh reality that instances of such nature by the members of the legal fraternity are on the increase,” said Justice M Dhandapani, directing the Bar council to file a report within two days, explaining the mechanism that is in place for taking action against lawyers who misbehave in public place with officials on duty.

The judge was hearing an anticipatory bail pleas of a woman lawyer, Tanuja Rajan alias Tanuja Kanthula, and her law student-daughter, who apprehended arrested in connection with a case registered against them for having quarrelled with and threatened policemen enforcing lockdown protocol a couple of weeks ago.

It is the Chetpet police case that on June 6, cops on duty stopped Preeti’s car for lockdown violation, but a while later Tanuja Rajan came in another car, abused them and threatened them of dire consequences.

Noting that such behaviour in public demeaned the legal profession, Justice Dhandapani impleaded the Bar council suo motu, and said: “Though, for unruly and indiscipline behaviour, other persons who work for one or other arm of the government, mechanism of disciplinary action is contemplated under the relevant Acts and rules governing the service, when it comes to legal fraternity, the initiative and control vest with the Bar Council of Tamil Nadu, to take appropriate action against such unruly advocates who involve themselves in these kinds of acts, which demeans the profession.”

Disapproving of some high-handed activities indulged in by lawyers against members of law enforcing agency, Justice Dhandapani said the present anticipatory bail pleas had a larger ramification with regard to the conduct of the members of the legal fraternity vis-a-vis officials of the government, and the Bar Council’s responsibility to take action against its members.