MP lawyers continue stir despite HC directive to resume work

There are 1.1 lakh lawyers in the state, Saini said.On March 24, the Madhya Pradesh High Court, in suo motu action, directed all advocates taking part in the strike to return to work immediately.Advocates throughout Madhya Pradesh are hereby directed to attend to their court work forthwith.

Lawyers across Madhya Pradesh continued to keep away from work on the fourth day on Monday despite the High Court directing them to end their stir.

They are protesting against a recent HC administrative order to the trial courts to shortlist 25 long-pending cases for disposal in three months, State Bar Council of Madhya Pradesh (SBCMP) vice chairman RK Singh Saini told PTI.

''Lawyers are worried the hurry to dispose of old cases might come in the way of a fair trial and put urgent matters like bail pleas on the backburner. There are 1.1 lakh lawyers in the state,'' Saini said.

On March 24, the Madhya Pradesh High Court, in suo motu action, directed all advocates taking part in the strike to return to work immediately.

''Advocates throughout Madhya Pradesh are hereby directed to attend to their court work forthwith. They shall represent their clients in the respective cases before the respective courts,” a division bench of MP HC comprising Chief Justice Ravi Malimath and Justice Vishal Mishra had ordered.

''If any lawyer deliberately avoids attending the court, it will be presumed he had disobeyed the order and he will have to face serious consequences, including initiation of proceedings for contempt of court under the Contempt of Courts Act,” the HC order had stated. The court took suo motu action on a letter from the chairman of the SBCMP asking lawyers to abstain from work from March 23.