Registrar General Of Kerala High Court Restrains Lawyer Group From Holding "Symbolic Impeachment Of CEC" In Court Premises
The protest declared by the Indian Association of Lawyers was shifted pursuant to the Registrar General's direction.
The Registrar General of the Kerala High Court today issued a direction to the Indian Association of Lawyers not to hold the announced protest against the Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) in the High Court premises.
The Indian Association of Lawyers had announced that representatives from 88 Court centres in Kerala would assemble in the High Court premises to "symbolically impeach the Chief Election Commissioner" today.
Registrar General Gopakumar G, in his letter to the Secretary of the Indian Association of Lawyers directed, "No permission was requested for holding such an assembly within the High Court premises and no permission has been granted to hold such an assembly within the High Court premises. Hence you are instructed not to assemble in the High Court premises and to hold any protest, demonstration or any symbolic impeachment as stated in the notice".
The action was taken based on a complaint addressed to Chief Justice Soumen Sen by the High Court unit of the Bharatheeya Abhibhashaka Parishad.
The letter of the Registrar General says that the "High Court premises includes the new court building complex and the land on which it stands, the adjoining lands which, among different other buildings, carry with it the Ram Mohan Palace, as also, the Advocate General's office, buildings which are utilised by the advocates, housed and retained in land under judicial control. (See 2016 SCC Online KER 10398). The premises in front of Bar Council Hall is part of the High Court premises."
In its complaint, the Bharatheeya Abhibhashaka Parishad said, "The premises of this Hon'ble Court are maintained for the conduct of judicial business and for access to justice. An assembly of representatives from 88 court centres at 4:30 pm, when the courts are rising and litigants, staff and advocates are leaving, will bring large numbers of persons, the media and police deployment into the premises, and puts at risk the access, security and decorum of the Court."
The complainant further contended, "A symbolic impeachment of a constitutional functionary, staged in front of the Bar Council Hall within the premises of this Hon'ble Court, is liable to be understood as associating this Hon'ble Court with a position on a contested public question."
Pursuant to the direction of the Registrar General, the protest was shifted to the car porch of the Chamber Complex Building near the High Court.