Coronavirus: Lawyers in Bengal not to participate in judicial proceedings till Mar 31, says bar council

The West Bengal Bar Council Friday resolved to extend its decision not to participate in judicial proceedings at the Calcutta High Court and other courts in the state till March 31 in view of the coronavirus pandemic.

Bar Council vice-chairman Siddhartha Mukhopadhyay said that considering a notification by the Calcutta High Court registrar general that only urgent matters would be listed for hearings before it as well as in its circuit benches and subordinate courts till March 25, it has decided to extend the non-participation.

The West Bengal Bar Council had earlier decided not to participate in court proceedings till March 20 following the high court administration's advisory on March 15 that only urgent matters would be taken up for hearing, which was extended on March 19. "Reposing faith, confidence and respect to such notification, (the Bar Council) further resolved that as a preventive and precautionary measure to stop spreading of COVID-19 among advocates, litigants and the public at large" the advocates were asked not to participate in judicial proceedings till March 31, Mukhopadhyay said.