Chhattisgarh High Court Seeks Reply From State Bar Council For Grant Of Relief To Advocates During Covid-19 Pandemic

The Court has also asked the Advocate Welfare Trust of the Bar Council of Chhattisgarh to file separate response so that the wholesome holistic view can be taken to render financial assistance to the affected lawyers

The development comes in the backdrop of a letter addressed to the High Court by the District Bar Association, Bilaspur, highlighting the plight of Advocates during the pandemic.

The Court registered the letter as an IA and asked the State Bar Council, represented by Senior Advocate Kishore Bhaduri, to seek instructions in the matter. The Council has been granted three days' time to respond to the application for grant of relief to advocates during the pandemic.

Significantly, Bhaduri informed the Bench that though communication has been sent to the Bar Association throughout the State to intimate the Bar Council as to the names of the lawyers who have suffered death due to COVID-19, no such information has been sent by the concerned Bar Associations to the State Bar Council.

Thus, the Court has ordered that all the District Bar Associations in the State, if they so desire, may appear before the Court and file their response to the submissions made by Mr. Bhaduri.

The ordered further stated,

"The respective Bar Associations may also submit names of the lawyers who have suffered death or who have been infected with COVID-19 pandemic, so that appropriate orders can be passed after hearing all the concerned parties."

The Court has also sought reply from the State Legal Services Authority with respect to an application seeking further extension of interim orders/ stay orders/ interim bail orders passed by the High Courts and all other Courts/ Tribunals.

The matter is posted for hearing on July 8.

Case Title: Suo Moto v. State Of Chhattisgarh

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