Don’t reduce court to fish market, SC tells lawyers

Satya Prakash

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Tribune News Service

New Delhi, February 5

Taking strong exception to the language used by senior advocates Dushyant Dave and Pallav Shishodia during hearing on petitions seeking an SIT probe into CBI Special Judge BH Loya’s death, the SC today said the courtroom should not be reduced to the level of a "fish market".

A three-Judge Bench of Chief Justice Dipak Misra, Justice AM Khanwilkar and Justice DY Chandrachud was visibly upset over the manner in which the two senior advocates raised their voice despite repeated requests by it to calm down. “This is unpardonable,” said the Bench after hearing ugly spat between the two advocates.

At one point Dave, representing Bombay Lawyers Association, even said he won’t listen to the Bench unless it stopped senior counsel Harish Salve from appearing in the case as he had represented BJP chief Amit Shah in the past.

“Let’s not reduce the dialogue to the level of a fish market… Have a regard of the two portraits of judges in this room (Justice Harilal Kania and Justice BK Mukherjea)… You should not shout down a judge who is saying something. You will have to listen to me, Mr Dave... You address when your turn comes,” said Justice Chandrachud.

“No, I will not. Your Lordships should have stopped them (Salve and Sishodia) from appearing in this case. You will have to answer your conscience,” Dave told the Bench. “Don't teach us about our conscience,” the Bench told Dave, ex-President of the SC Bar Association.

“We had appeared as juniors in this court but now the dialogue has degenerated so much that it has become oppressive,” said Justice Chandrachud. “I will tell you what is oppressive. Salve appearing for Amit Shah and now for the Maharashtra government… That is oppression,” said Dave.

While Salve is representing the Maharashtra Government while Shishodia  is appearing for Maharashtra-based journalist BS Lone who filed a PIL seeking a probe into Loya’s mysterious death.