Excelsior Correspondent
KATHUA Dec 30: A delegation of District Bar Association (DBA) Kathua led by its president, Advocate Ajat Shatru Sharma submitted a memorandum to Chief Justice of J&K High Court, Gita Mittal regarding their demands and suggestions for the welfare of lawyers of J&K UT in general and district Kathua in particular during her visit to Kathua on Sunday.
The memorandum said that there were various demands and suggestions which are required for welfare of advocates after the enactment of the J&K Reorganization Act 2019. After coming into operation of the Jammu & Kashmir Reorganization Act 2019, the existing ‘J&K Advocates Welfare Act 1997’ repealed as mentioned in serial No.2 of Table-3 in the said Act. But the J&K Reorganization Act is silent with respect to the extension of Central law of ‘the Advocates Welfare Fund Act 2001’ (Central Act 45 of 2001) in the list of extension of Central laws made applicable to UT of J&K under Table-1 in the J&K Reorganization Act 2019.
This confusion needs to be removed as earlier so that the advocates of Union Territory of J&K can avail the benefits of welfare schemes being launched in the country, the memorandum added.
Moreover, there was a long pending demand of the lawyers of Jammu province that Winter vacations must be observed in all the district & other subordinate courts of the province. But in the recent notification issued by J&K High Court vide No.974, dated 28/12/2019 only selected courts of Jammu province are going to observe Winter vacations with effect from 01-01-2020 to 15-01-2020 and rest district courts & other subordinate courts of the province are ignored..
The delegation also demanded granting of the early approval of panel of lawyers to be appointed as retainer lawyers for the smooth working of DLSA Kathua and other TLSCs of district Kathua and early constitution and functioning of District Consumer Disputes Redressal Bodies in the J&K UT.
The memorandum stressed on increasing the pace of ongoing construction work of new building of court complex of District & Sessions Court Kathua with priority to Lawyers Chambers Complex. It demanded to allot the space to the Bar for the Canteen facility and Juice Corner for Lawyers on make shift arrangement till the new building of canteen comes into existence.
It demanded upgradation of the Bar Library with new Central law books/Journals/latest digital judgments software.
The memorandum demanded shifting of the Juvenile Justice Board Kathua from current private building to Government building located near to the district Court Complex Kathua and enactment of Advocates Protection Law.
The delegation requested that the memorandum may be considered as a “Petition PIL” for all or any of the public interest issues mentioned in it.
Others who joined the delegation includes Kamaljeet Singh, T.N. Gupta, Harinder Singh, Rahul, Shrikant, Rajesh Kumar, Nishant, Ramit Jasrotia & Devinder Singh.
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