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Advocates’ Protection Act: Lawyers across UP to boycott court work
On a call given by the Bar Council of Uttar Pradesh, lawyers of all district courts in the state, as well as those of the Allahabad high court and its Lucknow bench
On a call given by the Bar Council of Uttar Pradesh, lawyers of all district courts in the state, as well as those of the Allahabad high court and its Lucknow bench will boycott work on Thursday to protest against the murders of lawyers and to press for their demand of framing a draft proposal of the Advocates’ Protection Act.
To recall, the recent killings of advocate Sanaullah in Prayagraj and advocate Shishir Tripathi in the state capital earlier this month triggered widespread lawyers’ protests.
Soon after Tripathi’s murder a week ago, a delegation of lawyers met chief minister Yogi Adityanath and handed him a memorandum of their demands regarding the Advocates’ Protection Act.
Earlier this month, another delegation of lawyers met defence minister Rajnath Singh in New Delhi. They too demanded framing of a draft proposal of the Advocates’ Protection Act. Sanjeev Pandey, president, Central Bar Association, district court, Lucknow, led this delegation.
“If the government does not take any decision on the issue, we will decide the future course of action,” he said.
Prashant Singh ‘Atal’, vice-president, Bar Council of Uttar Pradesh, said, “Lawyers in all district courts and the Lucknow and Allahabad high courts will boycott work on Thursday in protest against the recent killings of lawyers.”
“This work boycott is also to demand framing of a draft proposal for the Advocates’ Protection Act -- a long pending demand of lawyers,” he added.
It may be pointed out that the Uttar Pradesh Special Security Force (UPSSF), a specialised and dedicated security force, is to be constituted to ensure security at district courts across the state.
This decision was taken after the sensational killing of a double-murder accused before a chief judicial magistrate in a Bijnor courtroom on December 17. While the murder accused was killed, three others were injured in the attack.
Then on June 12, last year, the first-ever woman president of the UP Bar Council, Darvesh Yadav, was killed on the premises of the Agra district court. Apart from that, advocate Jagnarayan Yadav, 63, was also shot dead on the Basti district court campus on February 28, 2019.
The UP director general of police OP Singh has already tasked senior police officials with the job to expedite the process for setting up the UPSSF and prepare a detailed proposal for its formation.
