High Court raps lawyer for Katta panchayat talk

The Madras High Court has come down heavily on an advocate who described it as “Katta Panchayat” for dismissing a public interest litigation (PIL) seeking to quash the public notice making the wearing of helmets compulsory for two wheeler riders.

The First Bench Comprising Chief Justice Sanjay Kishan Kaul and Justice Pushpa Sathyanarayana had dismissed the PIL moved by an advocate Muthukrishnan on November 3, 2015. The bench had also imposed a cost of Rs.10, 000 stating that the petition is misconceived and meritless. 

But the advocate once again moved a review petition, wherein he described the order as a reflection of “anger” and “irksome”. He also took objection to the same being called ‘Judicial order’ claiming that the judgement suffers from mistakes and that it is a judicial over reach by the Chief Justice. He also alleged that the observation of the bench that petition was a publicity stunt was a harsh language and that it was a “demonstration of unwarranted judicial activism”. 

The bench noting that to once again the raise the issue is nothing but a publicity stunt. It noted that “It is high time that value is assigned to judicial time, which is spent on such matters and insistence of the petitioners to go on to argue such matters. The petitioner must pay for it.” The bench besides imposing an additional cost of Rs. 10,000 also directed the Bar Council of Tamil Nadu and Puducherry and Bar Council of India to examine the advocate’s conduct and decide whether he should continue as member of the bar. 

The Tamil Nadu and Pondicherry Bar Council has bared the registration of 94 persons with criminal records as advocates. As many as 42 advocates have also been placed under suspension based on various allegations against them. Madras High Court Judge Justice Kirubakaran had passed an order recently insisting that law students with criminal backgrounds should not be allowed to practice as advocates. He had also passed other regulations including the submission of police clearance certificates by students before joining Law Colleges.