Kerala - Thiruvananthapuram   

Lawyers stage protest

— Photo: S. Mahinsha

VEHEMENT PROTEST: Lawyers protesting in front of the district court complex, Vanchiyoor, in the city on Wednesday.

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Legal proceedings at the district court complex in Vanchiyoor came to a standstill on Wednesday with hundreds of lawyers of the Thiruvananthapuram Bar Association protesting against a resolution adopted by the High Court Full Bench on Tuesday opposing the constitution of a High Court Bench in the capital city.

The agitation began around 10.15 a.m. following a general body meeting by the Bar association condemning the resolution. Shouting slogans challenging “the authoritative decision” taken by the Full Bench, the members took out a half-an-hour procession on the premises of the court complex.

Later, inaugurating a dharna, C.K. Sitaram, president of the Bar association, described the resolution as “without any authority and deliberately aimed at defeating public interest for a Bench (High Court) in the capital.”

Mr. Sitaram said the decision to set up a Bench comes under the sole authority of the Indian President. As per the States Reorganisation Act of 1956, the President may, after consultation with the Governor of a new State and the Chief Justice of the High Court, provide for the establishment of a permanent Bench or Benches of the High Court, he said.

According to him, Thiruvananthapuram had been the seat of the erstwhile Travancore High Court, but after the reorganisation of the States, it was shifted to Ernakulam. Though a Bench was retained here at that time, it is not functioning now. “We are demanding for its restoration,” he said.

Mr. Sitaram said the association would continue with its agitation till the demand is met. In the coming days the agitation will be spread to courts in Attingal, Neyyattinkara, Nedumangad and Varkala. “Thursday will be observed as a ‘black day’ and we will also begin a relay hunger strike in front of the court complex from Friday,” he said.

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