MP HC issues notices to several lawyers including “Dead” , “Retired” and “Elevated to the Bench” for striking work

The Madhya Pradesh High Court in Jabalpur has taken a hardened stance on lawyers who created a deadlock and obstructed work on April 27 against chief justice A M Khanwilkar's decision to set up a committee to examine representations for creation of a circuit bench in Bhopal. The High Court apparently has pulled out old 'vakalatnamas' from case files and mechanically issued notices to advocates who have long ceased to appear for cases after getting designated as senior advocates. Tankha added, "I am informed identical judicial orders and notices of misconduct have been issued in thousands to members of the bar, some of whom today adorn chairs of high plenipotentiary judgeship in Supreme Court/high court, designated senior counsel, lawyers who have long passed away, lawyers who permanently shifted base to Chhattisgarh more than a decade back and also to lawyers who have been cleared by the collegiums for appointment as judges. Ironically, a high court judge who issued notices of misconduct to lawyers on April 27 is himself a victim of one such notice.