Jammu: The work in Jammu and Kashmir High Court, its subordinate courts and tribunals was hit on Monday as lawyers stayed away to protest the shifting of debts recovery cases of the twin union territories of J&K and Ladakh to the Chandigarh bench.
The lawyers abstained from working in the high court, subordinate courts and all other tribunals in Jammu in response to a call given by the Jammu-wing of J&K High Court Bar Association.
Association president M K Bhardwaj urged the government to revoke the notification issued on September 10, whereby jurisdiction to deal with debts recovery cases of J-K and Ladakh have been transferred to the Chandigarh bench, within a period of 15 days.
If the notification was not revoked, the J-K High Court Bar Association, Jammu, has no other option except to fight against the anti-public decisions for getting their genuine demands fulfilled, he said.
Bhardwaj said at present there is no consumer commission and consumer forum working in the UT of Jammu and Kashmir and the UT administration still has not constituted and notified the same till date.
There is no information about the pending cases and the files. For the convenience of the advocates and public at large, the location of the Central Administrative Tribunal, registration work and other tribunals must be shifted in the court premises under one roof, he said.
The government has already transferred the registration work to the revenue officers. Earlier the registration work was with the judicial officers in court premises but due to shifting of the registration work, the members of the bar and public at large are facing inconvenience and difficulties, he said.
Bhardwaj said the advocates who are working in far flung areas and courts would also face difficulties in contesting their debt recovery cases at Chandigarh and this decision will also affect the public at large.
It has come to our notice that there is no regular presiding officer for the last nearly two years at Chandigarh and members of the Debt Recovery Tribunal Bar Association Chandigarh are on strike against the non-availability of bench at Chandigarh, he said.
