Allahabad HC lawyers boycott work, demand for separate bench

Advocates of the Allahabad High Court on Tuesday boycotted work in protest against the demand to set up a new bench in western Uttar Pradesh.

The decision to boycott was taken on Monday at a general body meeting of the High Court Bar Association (HCBA) in Allahabad as a mark of protest against the "illegal attempts" of district bar associations of western UP for creation of a separate bench of the Allahabad High Court.

The advocates on Tuesday gathered in front of the HC's main gate, completely blocking entry into the premises, and raised slogans against "nefarious attempts to divide the esteemed judicial body".

Though there was no violence, HCBA president Kandarp Narayan Mishra later announced that a "unanimous decision has been taken to continue the boycott tomorrow (Wednesday)".

"Tomorrow we will again hold a general body meeting to decide further course of action", Mishra said. The court will remain closed on Thursday on account of the Independence Day. There has been a long-standing demand for creation of a separate Bench of the High Court in Meerut or some other part of western Uttar Pradesh in view of the inconvenience faced by litigants belonging to those far-off regions.

However, lawyers in Allahabad have been vehemently opposed to such a move as it is likely to deprive them of a sizable clientele. At present, the High Court has only one additional bench in Lucknow which caters to about a dozen districts situated in the vicinity of the state capital.