Three lawyers have moved the Bombay High Court seeking the services they render to be categorized as "essential services" since they are "officers of the court" and work towards ensuring justice for all. They have urged the HC to allow them travel in the suburban local trains so that their work isn't obstructed.
While a bench headed by Justice Amjad Sayed issued notice to the Maharashtra government seeking its stand on the issue, another bench led by Justice Sambhaji Shinde ordered the Bar Council of India to file its say in the matter by Friday.
Justice Sayed's bench heard a PIL filed by three advocates and the one led by Justice Shinde dealt with a separate criminal writ petition filed by another advocate, who was fined Rs 500 for commuting on his two wheeler.
The PIL urged the bench to declare the services of advocates as essential services so as to enable them to travel in the local trains, which are specially being run for essential services staff. It argued that lawyers are officers of the court and they help in ensuring justice for all.
On the other hand, the criminal writ petition, claimed that the petitioner advocate was fined Rs 500 for traveling on the western express highway, despite him furnishing the copy of his ID card and the case papers to the concerned traffic cops.
The petitioner advocate told the bench led by Justice Shinde that he was stopped by the cops on view of the new rule of the Mumbai Police barring everyone from traveling beyond two kilometers from their residence, except for some essential work. The petitioner lawyer claimed to have reached late to the Magistrate's court, which was to hear his matter and by then the court had adjourned the case till a further date.
Both the pleas, principally sought exemption for lawyers and their staff from the lockdown rules since they ought to work as the courts are functioning even during the lockdown.
