Kanpur: On Saturday, representatives from 58 district Bar Associations across Uttar Pradesh reached a unanimous decision to boycott the National Lok Adalat. They will also abstain from all judicial work every Wednesday until their demands are addressed. This action highlights ongoing tensions within the legal community regarding unresolved issues.
Around 300 representatives participated in the conference, said Kanpur Bar Association general secretary, Vinay Kumar Mishra and The Lawyers Association general secretary Rajeev Yadav. The decision was taken at the conclusion of a two-day state-level advocates’ conference at the Kanpur Bar Association lawns.
Among the major demands were enactment of an Advocates Protection Act by Parliament, raising the UP advocate welfare fund from Rs 5 lakh to Rs 25 lakh, a five-year stipend for freshers entering the profession, pension for lawyers above 70 years and chambers for advocates on court premises.
Mishra and Yadav said the representatives unanimously supported the decision not to give undertakings sought by the Bar Council of India and UP Bar Council.
A resolution passed at the conference also criticised alleged attempts by the administration to “silence” advocates and opposed what the representatives described as illegal pressure on lawyers.