The Hindu : Tamil Nadu News : Minister meets lawyers’ representatives

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Wednesday, Oct 10, 2007
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Tamil Nadu

Tamil Nadu

Minister meets lawyers’ representatives

Special Correspondent

Advocates Association to decide on court boycott agitation today

— Photo: V. Ganesan

SEEKING A SOLUTION: Representatives of the Madras High Court Advocates Association with Law and PWD Minister Durai Murugan at the Secretariat on Tuesday.

CHENNAI: Minister for PWD and Law, Durai Murugan, held discussions with members of the Madras High Court Advocates Association (MHAA) to find a way out of the impasse arising out the decision of the Association to boycott courts.

The advocates began the boycott after two of their colleagues were reportedly roughed up by a police constable at Stanley Medical College.

A delegation of lawyers, comprising the MHAA president, R.C. Paul Kanagaraj, its secretary G. Mohanakrishnan, and Chairman of the Bar Council of Tamil Nadu K. Chandramohan, among others, met the Minister and submitted their demands.

Assurance obtained

Following an assurance from the Minister, the lawyers said the MHAA general body would meet on Wednesday and decide whether to continue the boycott or call off the agitation.

On Tuesday, the fourth day of court boycott, advocates led by vice-chairman of the All India Bar Association S. Prabakaran observed a fast on the court premises. In the morning, a rally was taken out.

Most of the courts functioned almost normally with more advocates turning out for hearings, as compared to the last three working days.

PIL petition

When the public interest litigation petition filed by the MHAA, seeking the appointment of a retired Judge of the High Court to probe the incident, came up for hearing before a Division Bench, comprising Justice Elipe Dharmarao and Justice S. Tamilvanan, in the afternoon, advocate N.G.R. Prasad furnished an affidavit of objections in response to an inquiry report filed by Joint Commissioner of Police (North) M. Ravi. Mr. Justice Dharmarao, pointing to the difficulties in disposing of pending cases owing to the court boycott, said advocates must call off the agitation as the matter was now sub judice.

Case adjourned

He adjourned the case till after the Dasara vacation.

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