Bar bodies, lawyers strongly condemn 'disrespectful gesture' against CJI Gavai

New Delhi, Oct 6 (PTI) Bar bodies and lawyers on Monday strongly condemned the incident of a lawyer allegedly attempting to hurl a shoe towards Chief Justice of India (CJI) B R Gavai during a court proceeding.

In a shocking breach of decorum, 71-year-old lawyer Rakesh Kishore on Monday allegedly tried to hurl a shoe at CJI Gavai in a courtroom. Alert security personnel present inside the courtroom immediately intervened and prevented the attack.

The Supreme Court Bar Association (SCBA), headed by senior advocate Vikas Singh, expressed its “profound shock, outrage, and unequivocal condemnation” over what it termed a “reprehensible act” committed by an advocate inside CJI’s courtroom.

In a strongly worded resolution passed unanimously, the SCBA described the advocate’s conduct as “utterly unbecoming of an officer of the Court” and said it “strikes at the very foundation of mutual respect that underpins the relationship between the Bench and the Bar”.

The Supreme Court Advocates-on-Record Association (SCAORA), headed by Vipin Nair, described the incident as a "disrespectful and intemperate gesture" by an advocate.

The Bar Council of India, headed by Manan Kumar Mishra, swung into action and swiftly ordered immediate suspension of advocate Rakesh Kishore for allegedly attempting to hurl a shoe towards the CJI.

Solicitor General Tushar Mehta described the act as "unfortunate and condemnable", calling it a result of misinformation and an attempt at cheap publicity.

"Today's incident in the chief justice's court is unfortunate and deserves condemnation. This is the result of misinformation in social media. It is really heartening that the chief justice of India reacted with magnanimity... I only hope that this magnanimity is not treated by others as the weakness of the institution," the top law officer said.

Senior advocate Indira Jaising termed the episode "an attack on the institution as a whole".

"I am not an eyewitness to the incident. What I know, I know from what the press has reported. It calls for investigation. I consider it to be an attack on the institution as a whole, not just the chief justice," she said.

The SCBA, in its resolution, “unanimously” expressed “profound shock, outrage, and unequivocal condemnation of the reprehensible act committed by an advocate”. "Such intemperate behaviour is utterly unbecoming of an officer of the court and strikes at the very foundation of mutual respect that underpins the relationship between the Bench and the Bar," it said.

The SCBA said the advocate’s behaviour “cannot be tolerated” as it amounts to a “direct assault on judicial independence, violates constitutional values of decorum and discipline, and gravely undermines public confidence in the justice delivery system”.

Commending the “calm composure and exemplary restraint” shown by the CJI despite the provocation, the SCBA said Justice Gavai had continued to discharge his duties “with dignity and poise, upholding the highest traditions of the judiciary”.

Reaffirming its “complete solidarity” with the CJI and the companion judges of the Supreme Court, the SCBA underscored that the “Bench and the Bar are two indispensable pillars of the justice delivery system, bound by mutual respect and a shared constitutional responsibility”.

The SCAORA, in a statement issued by its secretary Nikhil Jain, asked the top court to "take suo motu cognizance of the said conduct and initiate appropriate proceedings for contempt of court, as the act/gesture is a calculated move to scandalise the authority of the Supreme Court and lower its dignity in the eyes of the public".

It said such an action would serve as a necessary reminder that freedom of speech, while sacrosanct, carries with it a duty of restraint, particularly for members of the legal profession who are officers of the court.

The association said that it "unanimously expresses its deep anguish and disapproval at the recent act of an advocate who, by his unwarranted and intemperate gesture, sought to disrespect the office and authority of the Hon'ble Chief Justice of India and his companion Judges".

Such conduct is unbecoming of a member of the Bar and strikes at the very foundation of mutual respect that sustains the relationship between the Bench and the Bar, it said.

The behaviour is antithetical to the dignity of the legal profession and contrary to the constitutional values of decorum, discipline, and institutional integrity, it added.

"Any attempt to malign or a personalised act/gesture aimed against a sitting judge of the Hon'ble Supreme Court constitutes a direct assault on the independence of the judiciary and undermines public faith in the justice delivery system," it said.

The bar body said that it unequivocally condemns this "cowardly and disrespectful act" and stands in complete solidarity with the CJI and the entire judiciary in upholding the majesty, independence, and impartiality of the Supreme Court.

"The Association reaffirms its faith in the principles of secularism, unity, and fraternity, which form the cornerstone of both our Constitution and the Bar's collective conscience. It calls upon all members of the legal fraternity to uphold professional decorum, refrain from divisive conduct, and work together to preserve the dignity and unity of the institution we serve," it said. PTI SJK SJK KVK KVK