Pranav Shukla
The Allahabad High Court on 11th November stressed that lawyers also have a responsibility to avoid actions that could undermine the public’s trust in judges. The bench comprising of Justice Kshitij Shailendra expressed disappointment after a lawyer representing the appellant did not disclose that a case he sought to withdraw was one in which he had previously represented the opposing party before becoming a judge.
The Court noted that such oversights, even if unintentional, could impact public trust in judges. It emphasized that lawyers also have a responsibility to prevent these situations from occurring.
“The Bench operates based on mutual trust with members of the Bar, and both play complementary roles with the shared goal of delivering justice to society. Both judges and lawyers have a sacred duty to avoid situations that could damage this mutual trust. Lawyers, in particular, carry an added responsibility to act in ways that protect the judge’s reputation, as any missteps might lead the public to question judicial integrity. Such incidents could create a perception that *High Court judges are deciding cases they previously handled as advocates, which could harm public confidence,” the Court observed.
The judge further stated that court proceedings should not be treated casually, regardless of whether the oversight was intentional, unintentional, deliberate, or accidental. In the end, the Bench chose to be lenient and did not make any harsh remarks against the lawyer but advised him to exercise greater caution when addressing the Court in the future.
Click here to access the order.