Karnataka’s judiciary has been in the news for all the wrong reasons for some time now. The ugly turn of events during the lawyers’ protest on November 9 brought to the fore the war between the bar and the bench. Senior counsel and former advocate-general BV Acharya shared his views on the issue with Odeal D’Souza. Excerpts:
What do you have to say about the advocates’ protest?
What happened on Monday was definitely not right. But it is wrong to squarely blame the advocates. The advocates’ association had passed a resolution on September 17 stating that chief justice PD Dinakaran discontinue judicial work until the probe is complete. Resolutions were also sent to the judges that the advocates would abstain from work on November 9. Whatever occurred was only after the advocates realised that the judges were not cooperating.
What would have been the appropriate reaction of the judges on the protest day?
The judges could have passed judgments on several pending important cases, which would not have required advocates’ help.
What judicial grievances are the advocates association and the Bar Council facing?
We want men of high integrity to head the chief justice’s post. We will not be cowed down by any threat of contempt of court. We only want chief justice Dinakaran to abstain from court proceedings until he has been cleared of charges against him.
The Supreme Court collegium has left the chief justice PD Dinakaran matter to the central government.
The collegium has allowed the executive to regain its power to appoint a higher judiciary after sixteen years. This is the right time to constitute a National Judicial Commission. Many deserving judges have missed an elevation to the Supreme Court. But anyone with doubtful integrity should not be elevated to the apex court.
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