System will come to halt if people stop working: HC on ‘no-work day’ call by Bar

The entire system would come to a grinding halt if people chose to sit back at home, Punjab and Haryana High Court Chief Justice Sheel Nagu said on Friday terming the Bar Association’s “no-work day” call as “unfortunate” amid border tensions with Pakistan.

The remarks came as the High Court Bar Association and the Bar Council declared May 9 as “no-work day” in light of the “prevailing sensitive situation”.

The call was also supported by the Bar Council of Punjab and Haryana.

“The ‘no-work call’ was a little unfortunate. I expressed my concerns to your president (of the Bar Association) that when the forces are fighting the battle, you will be sitting at home and resting. If everybody sits at home, the system will come to a grinding halt,” Chief Justice Nagu said.

The assertions came during the hearing of a petition linked to the ongoing Punjab-Haryana water-sharing dispute. The Bench refused to adjourn the proceedings and remarked that mechanisms like videoconferencing had been put in place to ensure continuity of judicial functioning. “We have the platform. Everybody can sit at home and stay connected,” the Chief Justice noted.

Responding to the argument that air raid sirens were being sounded, the court remarked said such alerts were meant to caution people against venturing out, and not to halt essential services and governance.

“Sirens are sounded for people to stay indoors during that period,” the Bench said.