AHMEDABAD: Justice J C Doshi of Gujarat high court Monday expressed anguish over attempts by lawyers to “browbeat” him in many cases.
Justice Doshi was irked by the persistent requests of lawyers of a former IAS officer, S K Langa, to withdraw two anticipatory bail applications in a case regarding irregularities in land transactions, when the court was all set to pronounce the order.
The judge was about to dismiss Langa’s anticipatory bail applications when the advocates sought permission to withdraw the pleas. The lawyers apologised for the delayed request, and submitted that the dismissal of the bail applications will have long-lasting repercussions in the matter.
Had the court indicated its disinclination to entertain the applications, they would have requested withdrawal much earlier, Langa’s lawyers further submitted.
To this, Justice Doshi said, “I cannot say that I am not inclined. It has different repercussion…then browbeating begins.”
He said he had already penned 20 pages of the order and will mention at the end that a request for withdrawal was made. The lawyers, however, pressed on with the request.
This angered Justice Doshi, who said: “I am not here to fight with persons (lawyers) or to hear their sarcastic (remarks)… In many other cases, I have faced this. When I am disclosing my mind, sometimes members of the bar attempt to browbeat me. Everyone is a witness here.”
He, however, refrained from naming the lawyers who had tried to “browbeat” him. tnn
Justice Doshi was irked by the persistent requests of lawyers of a former IAS officer, S K Langa, to withdraw two anticipatory bail applications in a case regarding irregularities in land transactions, when the court was all set to pronounce the order.
The judge was about to dismiss Langa’s anticipatory bail applications when the advocates sought permission to withdraw the pleas. The lawyers apologised for the delayed request, and submitted that the dismissal of the bail applications will have long-lasting repercussions in the matter.
Had the court indicated its disinclination to entertain the applications, they would have requested withdrawal much earlier, Langa’s lawyers further submitted.
To this, Justice Doshi said, “I cannot say that I am not inclined. It has different repercussion…then browbeating begins.”
He said he had already penned 20 pages of the order and will mention at the end that a request for withdrawal was made. The lawyers, however, pressed on with the request.
This angered Justice Doshi, who said: “I am not here to fight with persons (lawyers) or to hear their sarcastic (remarks)… In many other cases, I have faced this. When I am disclosing my mind, sometimes members of the bar attempt to browbeat me. Everyone is a witness here.”
He, however, refrained from naming the lawyers who had tried to “browbeat” him. tnn