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Elections 2020: Bar Council, Punjab and Haryana HC Bar at loggerheads again
The council has objected to the HC Bar announcing elections on October 24
The Bar Council of Punjab and Haryana (BCPH) and Punjab and Haryana High Court Bar Association (PHHCBA) are at loggerheads again over the conduct of annual elections.
The council has objected to the HC Bar announcing elections on October 24.
“We are in talks with HC Bar election committee. We are proposing elections for November 6 in all district Bars and the HC,” said BCPH chairman, Karanjit Singh.
However, chairman of the election committee, PHHCBA, KS Sidhu, has written to BCPH asking it not to interfere in the affairs of High Court Bar. “There is no provision of the Bar Council framing rules for holding of elections for the high court,” Sidhu’s letter said.
Sidhu’s letter comes in the wake of Bar Council seeking suggestions from lawyers over holding elections on November 6 in all Bars in the two states and the HC. This proposal from BCPH had come following PHHCBA announcing polls on October 24.
Earlier too, the HC Bar body and Bar Council had locked horns over online elections announced by Bar Council for September 30 and October 1. Subsequently, the matter reached the high court and election notification was quashed.
Bar Council is a statutory body which regulates entry into legal profession and has nearly 1-lakh members in the two states and Chandigarh.
The HC Bar has nearly 4,000 members practising before high court.
Bar Council withdraws proposal to go on strike
Meanwhile Bar Council has withdrawn its proposal to go on hunger strike after October 12.
“The high court administration has decided to partially allow physical hearing in district courts. In view of this, strike call has been withdrawn,” Singh said.
The BCPH had threatened to go on strike on October 2 after the high court notified that only virtual hearings would take place in all courts in October in the two states and Chandigarh. Now, district courts are being allowed to open partially for physical hearing for the first time since March when lockdown was imposed in view of Covid-19 outbreak. However, only virtual hearings will be allowed at HC for now.
