A resolution to boycott court was passed in an emergency meeting of the governing council of Awadh Bar Association, High Court Lucknow on Thursday. The meeting was chaired by senior advocate and President of the bar H.G.S Parihar and was conducted by Sharad Pathak, General Secretary.
The resolution was passed in the wake of an order passed by the Allahabad High Court on February 9, in which the Court directed the Union of India to constitute the Principal/State Bench of the GST Tribunal at Allahabad. The Association seeks the Tribunal be located in Lucknow.
It is stated by the Lucknow Bar Association that the Court’s February 9 order is in conflict with the order in Oudh Bar (Association) High Court, Lucknow v. Union of India
The order has created resentment among the members of the Bar at Allahabad and Lucknow, leading to the meeting called on February 10 and 11.
The following suggestions/proposals were unanimously accepted by the members collectively:
The Bar Association would file a Writ petition before the High Court, seeking a prayer of mandamus for “establishment of State bench at Lucknow”.
The members would not be attending the Court of Justice S.P. Kesarwani and Justice Y.K. Srivastava, the judges who passed the February 9 order, whenever they sit at the Lucknow bench.
The members of bar association would collectively abstain from “judicial work”on February 12 in support their demand to “establish the State bench of GST at Lucknow, not Allahabad.”
The Advocate has constituted two delegations, in pursuance to suggestions made by the governing council, members and Senior Advocates, one to meet the Chief Minister of Uttar Pradesh and the latter to meet the Unione Finance Minister.