Lawyers to boycott courts

By Our Staff Reporter

VELLORE, JAN.26. Lawyers belonging to Bar Association, Vellore will boycott courts here on January 27 and 28 protesting against the amendments introduced by the Central Government to certain sections of the Civil Procedure Code (CPC).

A decision to this effect was taken by the association at its urgent general council meeting held here under the presidentship of Mr.M.Baskaran Tuesday.

Mr.R.Margabandhu, Rajya Sabha MP and chairman of the Tamil Nadu and Pondicherry Bar Council said that as per amendment to section 102 of the CPC, no second appeal would lie against an order of a single judge of the High Court in all small cause civil suits upto a value of Rs.10,000. (Previously, the limit was Rs.3000 as per the 1976 amendment). This, he said would affect the dispensation of real justice in all title suits.

He also said that the above amendments would have far- reaching consequences throughout the country since they would force the litigants to go on appeal to the Supreme Court against the single judge's order in civil cases, which was a costly affair. He said that he has written to all the 16 Bar Councils in the country to oppose the amendments and to request the Union Law Minister not to implement the amendments immediately but to notify them only after ascertaining the views of the Bar Councils.

He has also requested all bar associations in Tamil Nadu to send telegrams to the Union Minister on similar lines.

Our reporter from Erode writes:

Mr E. V. Viswanathan, chairman, and Mr P. Thirumalairajan, secretary of the Federation of District and Subordinate Courts Bar Associations of Tamil Nadu and Pondicherry respectively told reporters here today that the Union Government had recently passed a Bill to amend the Civil Procedure Code without any discussions with lawyers.

They said the amendment was not useful to the judiciary but only interfere with the fundamental rights of the litigant public. The Federation had decided to boycott courts in Tamil Nadu and Pondicherry on January 28. It had appealed to the President of India, Prime Minister, Union Law Minister, Home Minister, Minister for Parliamentary Affairs, Governor of Tamil Nadu, Tamil Nadu Chief Minister to interfere and see that the proposed amendment to the Civil Procedure Code could not be given effect.

Send this article to Friends by E-Mail

Section  : Regional
Previous : Lack of staff hits TAT functioning
Next     : Western Ghats face threat from quarries