Date:23/10/2006 URL: http://www.thehindu.com/2006/10/23/stories/2006102301460400.htm

Karnataka - Bangalore

Bar council calls off boycott against Chief Justice

Staff Reporter

Decision taken at an emergency meeting of office-bearers on Saturday

Valedictory of golden jubilee of High Court on November 4

Bar council says it has nothing personal against judges

BANGALORE: The Karnataka State Bar Council (KSBC) on Saturday unanimously resolved to call off the boycott call it had given to advocates in the State asking them not to attend any function in which Chief Justice of the Karnataka High Court Cyriac Joseph participated.

The council took the decision at an emergency meeting of its office-bearers held on its premises in Bangalore on Saturday, in which 19 of the 25 members participated.

The Bar Council had decided to ask advocates to boycott any function in which the Chief Justice participated after taking umbrage at the reported remark of the Chief Justice in Chikamagalur about corruption in the legal fraternity.

While the Chief Justice had maintained that his remark had been quoted in the media out of context, the Bar council had said it was unfortunate that the Chief Justice had made such a remark, which it claimed was unwarranted and unnecessary.

KSBC Chairman Y.R. Sadashiva Reddy, told The Hindu on Saturday that the council had unanimously decided to call off the boycott after it took into record the clarification of the Chief Justice at the function held at the Karnataka Judicial Academy, in Bangalore on Thursday.

Mr. Reddy said reports of the Chief Justice's speech in The Hindu and another newspaper were placed before the council, which then decided to call off the boycott. He said three other members had been contacted through telephone and they had agreed with the decision.

He said apart from the Chief Justice's clarification, what weighed with the Bar council was the fact that the valedictory of the golden jubilee celebrations of the Karnataka High Court is scheduled for November 4 in which Prime Minister, Dr. Manmohan Singh, is scheduled to participate.

Mr. Reddy said the Bar council did not intend to insult either Mr. Singh or the Chief Justice by boycotting the function. He said the council had nothing personal against either the Chief Justice or any other judicial officer.

He said it was only fighting to protect the name and integrity of advocates and it had taken both the decision to boycott and subsequent decision to call it off in the best interests of the judiciary.

He hoped that there would no more remarks or allegations against any advocate. He said he expected any complaint against an advocate to be brought to the notice of the Bar council.