Bombay High Court Advocates’ Association At Aurangabad Abstain From Work Over Court Building Dispute Despite Letter From Chief Justice

They have demanded civil and criminal cases to be conducted in the same building or proper connectivity between the old and new HC building which was inaugurated last month.

Protests are likely to continue through Friday, Advocate RI Ingole, Secretary of the Advocates’ Association of the Bombay High Court at Aurangabad said.

Late on October 3, the Chief Justice Devendra Kumar Upadhyaya asked lawyers, through the HC administration, not to abstain from work. The communication stated that a door was opened on the east side of the building for convenience of movement and the remaining demands would be considered when he visited Aurangabad next.

Advocates abstained from work over a dispute around the recent inauguration of a new annex wing at the Aurangabad bench. The new wing is currently being used for criminal proceedings. Meanwhile, civil proceedings continue to be held in the old building.

The Advocates’ Association on September 26 unanimously resolved that its members would cease participating in civil and criminal proceedings in the Aurangabad bench from October 4, if the criminal courts were not reopened in the old building by October 3. There was no response from the court administration to the lawyers' demands till 4:45 pm on October 3, as per the Association’s letter.

The new building is constructed approximately 120 meters away from the old one, and a skywalk connects the two. From September 25, two division benches and three single judge benches shifted to the new building.

The Advocates’ Association of Bombay High Court at Aurangabad has demanded that the proceedings of both civil and criminal cases be conducted in the same building or proper commuting facilities should be arranged.

“There is no authorized communication from the Registry for talk. Today also, advocates voluntarily have not participated in work. Our demand is that all the courts should work in one building until the convenient ways are to be given”, Ingole said.

In the October 3 letter CJ Upadhyaya requested cooperation from lawyers in using the new building. The letter also referred to a Supreme Court judgment, which stated that obstruction of court proceedings can be considered contempt of court.

“Hon'ble the Chief Justice has also instructed me to convey to the members of the Bar Association to remind them about the address of the Hon'ble the Chief Justice of India delivered by His Lordship on 17 September, 2023 at Aurangabad emphasizing on co-operation between the Bench and the Bar,” CJ's letter said.

CJ Upadhyaya also stressed the importance of ensuring the smooth operation of the new building, as it was constructed at the expense of the state and should be used for its intended purpose.

However, the Advocates' Association had decided to continue to abstain from work on October 5, reiterating their resolve not to participate in the work until the difficulties have been resolved.

(Inputs by Sharmeen Hakim)