Senior advocate designation: Bar Council has no authority to inquire into HC bar body affairs, says secy

Secretary of the Punjab and Haryana High Court Bar Association was slapped with a show cause notice by the Bar Council of Punjab and Haryana last week over a letter by him sent to the chief justice expressing gratitude for the designation of 76 lawyers as senior advocates on October 20

Responding to a show cause notice issued by the Bar Council of Punjab and Haryana (BCPH), the secretary of the Punjab and Haryana High Court Bar Association (PHHCBA) Gagandeep Jammu has responded saying BCPH has no jurisdiction to inquire into affairs of the association.

Secretary of the Punjab and Haryana High Court Bar Association, Gagandeep Jammu, in his letter said that process of designation was pending for years and he wrote the letter to chief justice after due deliberation among the executive members. (HT File Photo for representation)

Jammu was slapped with a show cause notice by BCPH last week over a letter by him sent to the chief justice expressing gratitude for the designation of 76 lawyers as senior advocates on October 20.

BCPH in the letter to Jammu said, he appeared to have acted “unilaterally” and without a resolution in this regard from the executive body of the Bar association or the general house of HC Bar. BCPH had been raising questions over the list notified by the high court.

Jammu in his letter said that process of designation was pending for years and he wrote the letter to chief justice after due deliberation among the executive members. “The Bar council does not possess the authority to issue show cause notice to any office-bearer of the Bar association in relation to its internal functioning or administrative affairs on receipt of any complaint or otherwise as per the Advocates Act 1961,” he said, demanding that in view of this, the notice be withdrawn. He also underlined that executive body met on October 29 and asserted that the letter was written with “due deliberations”.