‘Being treated worse than an ordinary litigant’: SCBA to CJI on non-hearing of two matters

New Delhi, Jan 18 (SocialNews.XYZ) The Supreme Court Bar Association (SCBA) wrote to Chief Justice D.Y. Chandrachud on Wednesday, raising the issue of non-hearing of two matters pertaining to the "lives and livelihood" of its members.

Senior advocate and SCBA President Vikas Singh, in the letter, said the two matters are concerning the " the lives and livelihood of the members of the SCBA and non-hearing of these matters is a serious concern".

"We are now getting a feeling that the SCBA, since it has never resorted to strike in its history, is not being given its due importance. Given this unfair treatment, we hope and trust that a situation will not be created to force us to resort to some dignified way of protest," he said.

In the letter, Singh said he is expressing the aspirations of the Bar which only wants to be treated like any other litigant without being accorded any priority.

One of the matters is a plea filed by the Bar body seeking a direction to the Ministry of Urban Development to grant permission for conversion of 1.33 acres allotted to the apex court near ITO as chamber blocks for lawyers.

The letter added, "The SCBA being an equal stakeholder in the institution of justice dispensation cannot be construed as stranger in asserting the listing and hearing of a matter related to welfare of its members, in ordinary course. However, by declining the request made by the SCBA for hearing of the matters, the SCBA is being treated worse than an ordinary litigant".

The other case is connected with the urgent repair of 'Supreme Towers', constructed for the SCBA Multi-State Group Housing Society Ltd in Noida, where over 700 lawyers reside with their families.

Source: IANS