Chennai: In the Madurai Bench of the Madras High Court, recently, during the hearing of a case related to the Tamil Nadu Public Service Commission (TNPSC), the video footage of Justice R. Subramanian speaking harshly to senior advocate P. Wilson has gone viral.
In protest against this, the Bar Associations of Tamil Nadu, Puducherry and the Madras High Court Advocates Association have filed a complaint with the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court and the Chief Justice of the Madras High Court.
In the complaint, the Bar Associations said, "In the Madurai High Court session, Senior Judge R. Subramanian used disrespectful words towards the senior advocate and the counsel appearing in the case. The concerned judge often uses such words against other advocates and against the litigants. The recording and publication of the court proceedings is prohibited. In this case, the information technology registrar should be directed to investigate how these videos were released."
The Bar Associations also said, "What kind of thoughts will common people have about the courts if they see this incident in the Madras High Court? This behavior of the senior judge tarnishes the dignity of the Madras High Court. Why should lawyers sacrifice their self-respect and dignity while appearing in the court?"
Quoting eminent legal experts, the complainants recalled how they have repeatedly said that "judges and lawyers are the two wheels of a chariot in the administration of justice". Lawyers are not treated with dignity though they are equal in administration of justice and none superior, the Bar Associations quoted Supreme Court Justice PR Kawai as saying at a program.
In the letter, the Bar Associations said that the High Court, District Courts and Additional Courts shall constitute a Vigilance Committee to ensure that lawyers are treated with due respect and dignity. Lawyers should be given a forum to bring their grievances in any, they said. "The relationship between judge and lawyer is professional. It should be civil and polite," the complainants said.
