Attacks on lawyers: Madras HC Chief Justice calls for meeting between T.N. DGP and Bar leaders

Madras High Court Chief Justice K.R. Shriram on Thursday (November 21, 2024) said, State Public Prosecutor Hasan Mohamed Jinnah can facilitate a meeting between Bar leaders and the Director General of Police, Tamil Nadu, to find a solution to their complaints of frequent attacks on advocates.

Madras High Court Chief Justice K.R. Shriram on Thursday (November 21, 2024) said, State Public Prosecutor Hasan Mohamed Jinnah can facilitate a meeting between Bar leaders and the Director General of Police, Tamil Nadu, to find a solution to their complaints of frequent attacks on advocates.

Presiding over the first Division Bench, along with Justice Senthilkumar Ramamoorthy, the Chief Justice told senior counsel S. Prabakaran, also the vice chairman of the Bar Council of India, that the concerns of the legal fraternity could be addressed by holding discussions with the DGP.

The suggestion was made when Mr. Prabakaran made a mention of a clerk stabbing a lawyer outside a court complex at Hosur in Krishnagiri district of Tamil Nadu on Wednesday (November 20, 2024). It was brought to the notice of the Division Bench that the victim was in a critical condition.

When the Chief Justice pointed out that news reports suggested that the attack was a result of a personal enmity between the two individuals, Mr. Prabakaran said, the Bar was disturbed not only by this incident but a series of murderous attacks that had taken place against lawyers over the years. He said, there was hardly any protection for the men in black robes, thereby sending the wrong signal to society.

The DGP would be best person to address this issue, and the State Public Prosecutor could facilitate a meeting between him and the Bar leaders, the Chief Justice said.

P.S. Amalraj, chairman of the Bar Council of Tamil Nadu and Puducherry, was also present when the mention was made.