The Bar Council of Kerala (BCK) has addressed a letter to the Kerala High Court Chief Justice expressing concern over a recent incident where a High Court judge is said to have turned down an adjournment request by a lawyer who had suffered a severe back injury.Terming it a troubling episode, the BCK chairman has requested Chief Justice AJ Desai to ensure that such unfortunate incidents did not occur in the future, while emphasizing the importance of treating advocates with courtesy and respect.In focus is an incident from earlier this month, when Justice A Badharudeen is said to have refused to adjourn a case even though the lawyer who requested the adjournment, advocate Jayakumar Namboodiri TV, said that he had a doctor's appointment to address a serious back injury.The BCK's letter highlighted that the said request by the lawyer was denied without empathy by the High Court judge, even though the opposing counsel did not object to the adjournment. The said episode is "highly condemnable", the BCK letter added."It is inhuman and unkind to deny adjournment sought by an Advocate on the ground of severe health issues," the letter stated further.The BCK has also expressed concern that other members of the High Court Bar have faced similar treatment in Justice Badharudeen's Court.The letter further mentioned complaints about similar misconduct from presiding officers in the district judiciary.It stressed the importance of addressing such incidents promptly to maintain the integrity and credibility of the judicial system.The letter also emphasized the integral role of advocates as officers of the court and stressed on the importance of treating them with dignity, both inside and outside the courtroom.On a related note, the Kerala High Court Advocates' Association (KHCAA) also wrote a similar letter to the Kerala High Court Chief Justice last week, taking exception to the alleged conduct of Justice Badharudeen towards lawyers.
TAGS: Bar Council of Kerala Kerala High Court Chief Justice adjournment request lawyer back injury Justice A Badharudeen
