The Supreme Court on Thursday took a stern view of recurring strikes at the Gautam Buddha Nagar district court, directing the Allahabad High Court to initiate punitive action against Bar Association officials for defying judicial mandates. A bench led by Chief Justice Surya Kant emphasized the necessity for “swifter consequences” to address the continued disruption of judicial proceedings.
The proceedings arose from a case filed by Virendra Singh, during which the apex court expressed grave concern over the Gautam Buddha Nagar Bar Association’s conduct. The bench, which also included Justice Joymalya Bagchi, noted that the association has persisted in passing resolutions to abstain from work, directly contravening a Supreme Court judgment delivered in December 2024.
That landmark ruling explicitly restrained district bar associations from passing such resolutions or striking, citing the detrimental impact on the justice delivery system and the rights of litigants.
During the hearing, Chief Justice Surya Kant observed that the leadership of the local bar had shown a blatant disregard for the court’s authority. “The president of Gautam Buddha Nagar Bar Association has repeatedly ignored the court’s direction,” the CJI remarked.
While acknowledging that the Chief Justice of the Allahabad High Court had already constituted a three-member committee to investigate the disruptions, the Supreme Court stressed that the situation required immediate and firm intervention.
To facilitate this, the bench issued specific directives to ensure accountability:
- Reporting of Strikes: The District and Sessions Judge of Gautam Buddha Nagar is required to compile and submit a detailed report to the Registrar General of the Allahabad High Court, specifying the exact dates on which bar members abstained from work.
- Immediate Examination: The high court’s committee of judges has been instructed to examine this report without delay.
- Punitive Measures: The committee must take punitive action against the responsible office-bearers in strict adherence to the December 2024 ruling.
The court’s order reinforces the principle that while bar associations play a vital role in the legal ecosystem, the repeated suspension of work through strikes constitutes a violation of professional ethics and judicial discipline.
