Lawyers Be Given Essential Access To Courts, Offices During Lockdown: Tamil Nadu Bar Council Writes To State Government

It may be noted that vide order dated May 8, 2021, the Tamil Nadu Government announced that the state will go into complete lockdown starting from May 10, till May 24 to curb the further spread of COVID.

However, noting that in the said notification, the functioning of "Judiciary and Courts" have been exempted, the letter states that lawyers should also be permitted to access courts and their offices during the lockdown period.

Direct all the Police Officers of Tamil Nadu to ensure that the lawyers be given essential access to the Courts and their offices to represent the cases during the #Lockdown period: Bar Council of Tamil Nadu & Puducherry writes to State Government@mkstalin pic.twitter.com/AIBHmhedis

— Live Law (@LiveLawIndia) May 8, 2021

"Therefore, we request your goodself to issue appropriate directions to all the Police Officers of Tamil Nadu concerned to ensure that the lawyers may be given essential access to the Courts and their offices to represent the cases during lockdown period", the letter concludes.

Urging thus, the Bar Council has further assured the government that its members would follow other advisories that may be issued by the Authorities.

In related news, modifying its earlier order, the Madhya Pradesh High Court yesterday directed that any practicing advocate located anywhere in any district headquarters of the State may apply for passes for visiting office from the residence and vice versa, during the ongoing lockdown/Corona curfew.

Movement Of Lawyers, Their Staff During Lockdown- "They May Apply For Passes Through Bar Associations": State Tells MP High Court

In its earlier order, the Bench of Chief Justice Mohammad Rafiq and Justice Atul Sreedharan had only directed the District Magistrates of Jabalpur, Indore, and Gwalior to issue passes to the advocates (when application made through the bar associations), their juniors, and advocate's clerks to enable them to attend their offices during the ongoing lockdown/Corona curfew.

However, now, the Court has allowed every practicing advocate located anywhere in any district headquarters of the State to apply for passes for himself/herself or his/her associate/junior advocates or his/her clerks, and it shall be considered by the competent Authority in accordance with the law.

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