Protecting the Protectors: AILAJ Demands Advocates’ Protection Act with Focus on Gender Justice, Systemic Reforms & Constitutional Rights

New Delhi- All India Lawyers Association of Justice (AILAJ) Delhi culminated its month-long campaign for the enactment of an Advocates’ Protection Act in a state-level consultation held on 12 April at the Press Club of India.The program started with an introduction to AILAJ and a reading of the AILAJ statement on Ambedkar Jayanti.

Followed by presenting the Bill & advs Colin Gonsalves, Mukesh, Anil Kumar Mishra, Sonali Shelar, Pooja Dhar and Rohin Bhatt commented.

Advocate Anil Mishra welcomed AILAJ’s efforts and added that protection must include insulation from mental violence inflicted on lawyers for taking up cases of victims not favoured by the judicial establishment. Advocate Pooja Dhar urged a more expansive definition of violence including institutional harassment and cyber-bullying.

Advocate Sonali Shelar talked at length about the lack of washroom facilities for women in lower courts and how this often takes a toll on the health of female advocates. She also lamented the pathetic state of washrooms for trans and disabled people in most courts. She pointed out that there seems to be discrepancy between the number of female law graduates and the number of women entering the bar, which she put down partly to the disinterest shown by senior male colleagues in working with female juniors, sexual harassment and various forms of sexism. She suggested that these concerns should reflect more strongly in the Bill proposed by AILAJ.

Advocate Rohin Bhatt also advised AILAJ to address the question of sexual harassment in lawyers’ chambers in the Bill. He urged that the Bill must have provisions that discourage the state from maliciously prosecuting lawyers, as it has done to lawyers like Sudha Bhardwaj and Surendra Gadling in the Bhima Koregaon case.

Advocate Colin Gonsalves said that the Bill must be part of a larger effort towards systemic transformation within the judiciary and in society. He said that lawyers must not see themselves as officers of the court as such but as citizen’s performing constitutional duties as laid down by Babasaheb Ambedkar. He said that we must find a way to end the marginalization of lawyers who fight for the working classes, Dalits and Adivasis.

Mukesh , Advocate Supreme Court reiterated AILAJ’s goal to protect democracy and the constitution and to empower lawyers who stand by the constitution. On that note, he thanked the panelists for their suggestions and stated that these will be integrated into the Bill before it is pushed forward and invited to future AILAJ Delhi programs such as the planned service camp for construction workers and the proposed round-table discussion with women lawyers.