File Photo: Calcutta High Court
West Bengal Governor KN Tripathi, on Sunday, criticised the lawyers of Calcutta High Court for resorting to a three-day 'cease-work' citing hot and humid weather condition ignoring Chief Justice Manjula Chellur's request to attend court.
"The Chief Justice had made a request to the lawyers. Normally the lawyers should have heeded the request," the Governor said on the sidelines of a function in Kolkata.
"Heat cannot be a reason to stay away from work. The lawyers should have paid due attention to the advice of the Chief Justice," Mr Tripathi said expressing his displeasure at the three-day ceasework from Wednesday, last week.
The High Court Bar Association had taken a majority resolution not to attend court from June 10 to June 13 owing to excessive heat and humidity. Only a miniscule percentage of lawyers were present during this period and very few cases were heard as most of them stayed away.
Though the judges were present, representatives of litigants were missing, thereby delaying the hearing of cases.
Voicing unhappiness over the lawyers' decision not to attend court, Chief Justice Manjula Chellur and Justice Joymalyo Bagchi had said if people in other professions like police sergeants, nurses, lawyers in lower courts and others could work, it should not have been so difficult for them.
The Chief Justice had described the lawyers' decision as irritating and painful.
She had asked the lawyers to attend court in the interest of litigants but the advocates stuck to their decision.
The High Court had reopened on June 1 after a fortnight-long summer break.
More than 2.8 lakh cases are pending before the Court, state Law Minister Chandrima Bhattacharya had last week told the Assembly.