After Chief Justice Decides To Visit And Discuss Resolution, Aurangabad Lawyers Call Off Boycott Of Court Proceedings

The lawyers' boycott of court proceedings in the Aurangabad Bench started on October 4, 2023 to protest shifting of benches handling criminal cases to a new building about 120 meters away. The lawyers demanded civil and criminal cases to be conducted in the same building or proper connectivity between the old and new buildings.

“I am further directed to inform you that the Hon'ble the Chief Justice has decided to visit Aurangabad on 13th October 2023 and to hold a meeting with the office bearers and members of the Advocates Association of Bombay High Court at Aurangabad at 4.45 PM. The Hon'ble the Chief Justice is of the firm opinion that all issues can be resolved by discussion”, reads a letter by Ajay Losarwar, Principal Secretary to the Chief Justice.

Representatives of the Association visited Mumbai over the weekend and met with Justice BR Gavai who asked them to return to work while he discussed the matter with Chief Justice Upadhyaya, Advocate RK Ingole, Secretary of the Advocates’ Association of Bombay High Court at Aurangabad told LiveLaw. The Association was later informed that the Chief Justice will visit Aurangabad soon to discuss the issue, he said.

According to Ingole, the court administration has agreed to open a walkway near the stairs between courtrooms 3 and 4 as early as possible to facilitate movement of lawyers form the old building to new building. Further, video conferencing for conducting hearing has started in the new building from today, he said.

Civil cases are heard in courtrooms number 1 to 8 of the old building, Ingole said. While there is a skywalk connecting the two buildings from court number 15 of the old building, it is a long walk and the association is demanding a skywalk starting near courtrooms 1 to 8, he explained.

Chief Justice Devendra Upadhyaya, on October 5, 2023, called upon the advocates to first return to work before a discussion for resolution of the issue can take place.

Subsequently, a Special General Meeting of the Association convened was on October 6, 2023, and a unanimous resolution was passed that the Chairman and the Secretary of the Association will meet with the Chief Justice and request a discussion. The Association also decided to continue the boycott until they received a written assurance of clear action to address their concerns.

The Association in its resolution also gave several options to resolve the dispute, which included continuing court activities in the old building while shifting the registrar's office and other offices to the new building or shifting all court functions to the new annex building while retaining offices in the original structure.

Additionally, suggestions were made to construct a skywalk near the judges' skywalk or a covered footpath only for lawyers between the two buildings. In the meantime, the Association suggested that the judges’ skywalk be opened only for lawyers during the time not reserved for judges.

They also proposed that all court proceedings in the new annex building be conducted online until a resolution is achieved.