The Allahabad High Court has issued a clarion call for judicial officers to continue their duties regardless of ongoing lawyers’ strikes, which have frequently disrupted proceedings in various district courts across the state. This directive aims to mitigate the adverse effects such disruptions have on litigants seeking justice.
In a significant observation made by Justice Ajit Kumar during the hearing of a petition filed by Ashutosh Kumar Pathak, the court highlighted the essential nature of judicial functions which must not be hindered by external factors such as strikes. Justice Kumar emphatically stated, “No one can be rendered remedy-less for lawyers sitting on strike.”
The petition, brought forth by a tenant facing difficulties due to a lawyers’ strike in Ghaziabad, brought to light the broader issue of access to justice during such professional protests. Addressing this, Justice Kumar remarked on the troubling scenario where litigants are compelled to approach the high court due to the inactivity in lower courts, stating, “I am afraid to know that the litigants are not getting justice from courts of law despite there being statutory remedies available.”
Furthermore, the high court has also instructed that if litigants wish to argue their cases themselves, the district administration, in coordination with the district judge, must ensure police protection for those litigants to safely enter and exit the courts.
Reinforcing the nobility of the legal profession, Justice Kumar expressed his expectation that lawyers should never obstruct any litigant from seeking justice, regardless of any ongoing strike actions within the district judgeships.
