The Patna High Court dismissed a Petition filed by the petitioner who is aggrieved with Section 2 of the guidelines of Bihar Public Grievance Redressal Rights, which according to the petitioner, restricts the appearance of an Advocate.
It is argued that many of the persons who raise complaints under the Public Grievance Redressal Act, 2015, are not well versed with laws and require the assistance of Advocates.
Para 16 of the guidelines provides for the personal appearance of complainant or appellant on the date of hearing, on notice being served and in his absence, the Appellate Tribunal or the Revisional Tribunal is empowered to either grant a further opportunity of hearing or dispose of the matter, even in the absence of the complainant. There is no prohibition in an Advocate being engaged.
It is pointed out in the counter affidavit that specifically the representation of lawyers has not been included to avoid further financial liabilities on the complainants, especially when there are dedicated officers appointed to look into the grievance raised.
The Division Bench of Chief Justice K. Vinod Chandran and Justice Partha Sarthy found absolutely no reason to entertain the petition and the same was dismissed by the High Court.