Lawyers occupy deceased advocate's office 'illegally' in Amritsar

Amritsar, October 15

After the local police booked four advocates for alleged illegal occupation of another lawyer’s chamber after his death recently, a section of the legal fraternity has asked the Amritsar Bar Association to cancel primary membership of the accused. A group of lawyers also wrote a letter to the president of the bar association on Saturday.

The issue has once again brought to focus the shortage of chambers for lawyers at the district courts. Due to this, fresh law graduates often fail to find a chamber so that they can practice law.

The four advocates along with one another person had broken the lock of the chamber of Avtar Singh who had died on October 7. Gurinderpal Singh, son of Avtar Singh, said: “I came to know about the illegal act when I reached my father’s office to get some documents.” He alleged that a cabinet containing his father’s documents was missing and the accused had changed the locks of the entry gate.

Gurpreet Singh Panesar, former secretary of the bar association, said: “The issue of construction of new chambers for the advocates has been discussed several times but so far nothing has materialised.”

Local lawyers stated that the proposal to construct more chambers had been mooted several times. Even the foundation stone for the chambers complex had been laid several times, including once by the Chief Justice of India and then again by the Chief Justice of the Punjab and Haryana High Court, but the construction work is yet to start.

The advocates stated that a move to construct chambers was started in 2012 and around 250 advocates had deposited their share with the building committee. However, many lawyers got their money withdrawn as they felt that the complex would not come up. A site plan of the proposed chambers’ building approved by the building committee of the HC is also seen displayed outside the sessions’ court here.

Advocate Kuljeet Singh Malawali said: “There is a need for more chambers but at the same time there is a need to esnure that the bar association members do not indulge in illgeal acts.”

Shortage of chambers to blame

• The issue has once again brought to light the shortage of chambers for lawyers at the district courts. Due to this, fresh law graduates often fail to find a chamber so that they can practice law
• Local lawyers stated that a proposal to construct more chambers had been mooted several times. Even the foundation stone for the chambers complex had been laid several times, including once by the Chief Justice of India and then again by the Chief Justice of the Punjab and Haryana High Court, but the construction work is yet to begin at the site