Holding that lawyers were privileged compared to other sections of society affected due to COVID-19, the Madras High Court on Thursday dismissed a petition by the Bar Council of Tamil Nadu and Puducherry co-chairman seeking a direction to Tangedco to not demand power consumption charges for lawyers’ chambers from March 2020 to February 2021.
Chennai:
Observing that the plea did not deserve any attention, the first bench comprising Chief Justice Sanjib Banerjee and Justice Senthilkumar said, “The Bar council co-chairman seeks a direction to the electricity authorities to not raise the bills for the period from Mar 2020 to Feb 2021, since the chambers were locked. For a start, lawyers were more privileged during the period of lockdown.”
The Chief Justice pointed out that individual lawyers could take care of their interests very well and that if the bills appear to be more than what it ought to be, then advocates could raise individual complaints.
“The petitioner is not espousing the cause of the lawyers and the plea is merely an attempt at popularity by the petitioner,” the Chief Justice said while sparing the petitioner of cost.
Conversations