"Publicity Interest Litigation": Supreme Court Chides Lawyer Over Plea

Lawyer and petitioner Pradeep Kumar Yadav had sought 50 lakhs for such lawyer families, arguing that the government has been providing financial aid to other communities in the society amid the pandemic.

It is about time that lawyers be stopped from filing "bogus PILs (Public Interest Litigation), stressed Supreme Court Justice DY Chandrachud today while chiding a practitioner for filing a "Publicity Interest Litigation" seeking compensation for families of those lawyers who died before the age of 60, whether by Covid or any other disease. Lawyer and petitioner Pradeep Kumar Yadav had sought 50 lakhs for such lawyer families, arguing that the government has been providing financial aid to other communities in the society amid the pandemic. Mr Yadav's plea commissioned considerable criticism from the top court judge, who, while throwing out the request, reminded the lawyer that his case can't be treated as an exception just because he is in a "black coat". "Time has come that we have to stop the lawyers from filing these bogus PILs. This is a Publicity Interest Litigation and just because you are in black coat, doesn't mean your life is more precious than other!" the top court said.