Justice D.Y. Chandrachud. File.
| Photo Credit: PTI

Chief Justice of India D.Y. Chandrachud, and two Supreme Court judges, met Gujarat and Telangana High Courts’ attorneys on Monday over the Collegium’s proposed transfers of Justices Nikhil Kariel and A. Abhishek Reddy, agreeing to “examine” their grievances whereas “strongly conveying” that they must get again to work.

The Chief Justice, accompanied by Collegium members Justices Sanjay Kishan Kaul and M.R. Shah, met the Gujarat attorneys’ delegation first throughout lunch break at 1.30 p.m. for half an hour. The Telangana group of attorneys met them within the night, after courtroom hours.

Read | Chief Justice of India urges ‘harmony, balance’ even as Gujarat, Telangana High Court lawyers protest judges’ transfers

“The Chief Justice assured us he will examine our grievances and sentiments. The CJI and Justice Kaul asked us to convey to our Bar to call off the strike,” advocate Hardik D. Brahmbhatt, secretary of the Gujarat High Court Advocates’ Association and a member of the delegation, recounted from the assembly.

A press release launched by the Gujarat delegation mentioned an in depth illustration was forwarded to the CJI on November 20. Supporting papers and paperwork had been submitted to the workplace of CJI after the assembly for his consideration.

Advocate Sri Jalli Narendar, who had flown to the nationwide capital from Telangana together with a delegation 4 days in the past, had the same account of the assembly.

“The CJI said they will examine our representation and take an appropriate decision. He [the CJI] has responded positively. He said they have to discuss and take a decision,” Mr. Narendar, secretary of the Telangana High Court Advocates Association, mentioned.

The Telangana attorneys mentioned Chief Justice Chandrachud had agreed to go to the State High Court quickly.

Asked what they discovered problematic concerning the proposed switch of Justice Reddy, Mr. Narendar mentioned, “The Collegium has taken a pick-and-choose method.” He mentioned Justice Reddy was one of many senior-most judges on the Telangana High Court Bench.

Though an announcement issued by the Telangana attorneys mentioned they’d resume work from Tuesday, the Gujarat attorneys mentioned they’d resolve after a gathering.

The Supreme Court didn’t challenge any assertion on the conferences.

Trouble started when Gujarat High Court attorneys launched a protest towards Justice Kariel’s switch from their courtroom to Patna. They termed it because the “death of the independence of the judiciary”. The Gujarat High Court Advocates’ Association handed a decision towards his switch, describing Justice Kariel the “finest, upright, honest and unbiased” choose.

The protest spread to Telangana with High Court attorneys boycotting work.

Madras High Court attorneys, too, have expressed their displeasure over the reported suggestion to switch Acting Chief Justice T. Raja to Rajasthan.

The Collegium’s resolutions, by the way, have nonetheless not been revealed. The newest one, which was revealed on Tuesday, is a September 29 suggestion of the Collegium to switch one other Gujarat High Court choose, Justice Vipul Manubhai Pancholi, additionally to Patna High Court. The importing of Collegium resolutions is a part of the Supreme Court’s inner transparency drive to take away the cloak of secrecy over the Collegium’s functioning.

On Saturday, addressing the Bar Council of India and attorneys from throughout the nation, Chief Justice Chandrachud hoped for “a sense of harmony and balance” to prevail throughout his tenure. He mentioned shoppers of justice endure when attorneys’ strike. The Chief Justice mentioned, generally, “tough decisions” must be taken to make the nation a greater place.

Law Minister Kiren Rijiju was blunt, cautioning protesting attorneys that when “things become too loud in terms of putting forward demands, it has a risk of taking a different turn”.