Gauhati High Court Issues Contempt Notice To GHCBA President For Failure To Act Against Lawyers Who Made Remarks Against Judge

The Gauhati High Court has issued contempt notices to various lawyers, including the president of the Gauhati High Court Bar Association (GHCBA), on the plea moved by the Advocate General. The GHCBA president was issued notice for failing to act against lawyers who had made negative remarks against a sitting judge of the High Court regarding the relocation of the HC premises.

A division bench of Chief Justice Vijay Bishnoi and Justice N Unni Krishnan Nair described the statements made by the respondent-lawyers as derogatory and contemptuous.

The tendency of criticizing judges and courts is even more unfortunate when it is made by a section of the legal fraternity, the Court added.

Regarding the statements of the lawyers being televised on various news videos, the bench directed that such videos be taken down under the appropriate provisions of the IT Act and Rules.

Notably, the GHCBA president, who has been issued a contempt notice in the present proceedings, had requested the recusal of a judge over liking a social media post related to the case.

The tendency of ignoring the attempts on the part of any person, which amounts to scandalizing the Court or lowering the authority of the Court, would result in erosion of faith of the millions of people in the judicial institutions. It is not only the responsibility of the Bench to ensure that the dignity and majesty of the Courts are to be protected but the advocates and the Associations representing them are also equally responsible for protecting the dignity and the majesty of the Courts, the bench added, while issuing the contempt notices.

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