Shillong: Lawyers across Meghalaya stayed away from court proceedings on Thursday and staged a protest in Shillong over a dispute involving Advocate General Amit Kumar.
They are demanding that Kumar resign or be removed, citing objections to remarks he allegedly made during court proceedings and concerns about the functioning of his office.
The Tura Bar Association also suspended court work in support of the protest. Its members did not travel to Shillong but joined the action by refusing to appear in cases.
Senior advocate Kishore Chand Gautam said lawyers from across Meghalaya had come together on the issue. He said the protest was not being conducted only by the Shillong and High Court bar associations.
The controversy centres on comments Kumar allegedly made during proceedings related to the safety of women in the legal profession. Lawyers have objected to how the matter was handled and how the remarks were subsequently reported.
Members of the bar associations met on August 24 and unanimously decided to approach Chief Minister Conrad K Sangma with a demand for Kumar’s removal. Gautam said Kumar later expressed regret over the reporting of his comments, but lawyers did not accept it as an apology.
The dispute then extended to a local newspaper. The bar associations alleged that the publication created a false impression that lawyers were opposing Kumar because he had supported a woman intern.
Gautam said the newspaper’s account did not correctly represent the reasons behind the lawyers’ action.
The associations later decided to boycott the newspaper and decline legal representation in matters involving it. They also decided to explore legal proceedings in connection with the reports.
Gautam raised another issue concerning the Advocate General’s office, questioning its use of lawyers from outside Meghalaya for court cases. He said some of the matters involved were relatively minor.
He also questioned the appointment of Kumar’s son to represent Meghalaya in the Supreme Court. According to Gautam, the bar associations will seek information through Right to Information applications about expenditure incurred by the Advocate General and his legal team.
Lawyers also reacted strongly to Chief Minister Conrad K Sangma’s recent remark that Meghalaya was “very lucky to have” Kumar as Advocate General. Gautam said the statement had caused deep hurt among lawyers and was one reason for the large turnout at the rally.
The Tura Bar Association had considered the matter at an emergency general meeting on August 21. Its members unanimously decided to support the bar associations in Shillong and follow decisions taken by the HCMBA and SBA. The association’s secretary said it would provide the two bar bodies with its full support and cooperation.
The lawyers marched through Shillong and later held a sit-in before handing their memorandum to the Governor.
Gautam said they would keep up the protest until Kumar resigned or was removed as Advocate General.