CJ Magic unites warring lawyer groups

Chief Justice of Madras High Court M Y Eqbal, has put an end to the year-long factionalism among the advocates in Ambur. It took only 15 minutes for the Chief Justice to cast away the ill-feeling among the three factions of advocates, who stood against each other in electing new members of the Ambur Bar Association that had been defunct for a year now.

Shortly after the inaugural function of the Combined Court Building and Judicial Officer’s Quarters at Ambur on Saturday, Justice Eqbal called upon the representatives of the three factions and suggested them to get rid of the ego problem that had divided the 65 lawyers into three groups.

The groups were headed by S Chandran, N Gokula and D Babu, each of whom wanted to fight for the key position at the bar association.  This, indeed, created an unhealthy atmosphere in the court premises for more than a year.

Justice Eqbal said it was rather sad to hear that the lawyers in Ambur had formed three associations and that they were fighting each other. There was no election and no office bearers. “If any dispute arose among the public and they are advised to go to the court of law, the public would immediately respond that when the lawyers themselves are fighting, what will they do for the clients,” the Justice questioned the large gathering of the advocates.

He proposed that he was ready to spend an hour and sit with them and mediate if they were willing to find an amicable solution to the problem. He, in a lighter vein, even said that the office bearers could be selected through a lucky draw.

‘Locking of courts is Anti-national’

Coming down heavily on lawyers for locking courts,  the CJ termed it an ‘anti-democratic’ and ‘anti-national’ activity. “The court is not the property of lawyers, but is the property of the public. Advocates have no right to lock court halls or the premises,” he said. Recently, an unprecedented trend is emerging in TN unheard of in other parts of the country, he said, adding, “For petty demands, not just boycotts, they (advocates) lock the court premises and court rooms.

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