Gurgaon: Weeks after a fire broke out at the district court complex, hundreds of lawyers have issued a warning that they may resume sitting in halls 1, 2, and 3 due to the absence of any alternative workspaces. Around 800 to 1,000 lawyers have cautioned that they will return to the three halls, located in the main judicial complex affected by the May 25 blaze, from July 1 if their original workspaces are not restored by June 30.
Disruption Caused by the Fire
The District Bar Association stated that the fire disrupted the practice of hundreds of advocates, many of whom do not have private chambers and relied on the affected halls and adjoining galleries. Association President Chandakant Sharma noted that preliminary assessments indicate no major structural damage, but final conclusions will only be possible after debris removal and technical inspections.
Long-Pending Shortage of Chambers
The association also highlighted the long-pending shortage of lawyers’ chambers, emphasizing that the Tower of Justice project, under construction since 2013, still lacks adequate provisions for advocates. “Committees will be formed to pursue both restoration and chamber allocation demands,” said Sharma on Wednesday.
Sharma added, “The fire has caused heavy damage to the building along with the records. However, in meetings held with the sessions judge and officials of the public works department, it was said that in the initial assessment no serious structural damage is visible in hall numbers 1, 2, and 3. The administration should quickly complete the work of removing the debris and the technical inspection so that the affected lawyers can return to their places soon.”
Lawyers’ Patience Wearing Thin
Former president of the bar and senior advocate Kulbhushan Bharadwaj said that the affected lawyers have maintained patience so far, but their troubles are constantly increasing. “Most of the lawyers do not have private chambers and for years they were practising sitting in hall numbers 1, 2, and 3 and the gallery attached to it,” said Bharadwaj. He mentioned that a committee will be formed by the bar, which will remain in continuous contact with the sessions judge, the administration, and officials of the concerned departments to convey information about the situation to the lawyers.
Decade-Long Construction Project
The construction of the Tower of Justice project in Gurgaon has been ongoing since 2013, but the arrangement of chambers for lawyers has not been made to date. In contrast, most new court complexes in the state have built chambers along with court buildings. “There is no clear provision for permanent chambers for lawyers in the new Tower of Justice. In such a situation, the long-standing demand of the lawyers cannot be ignored any further now,” said Sharma.
Demand for Action
The bar association announced that “a separate committee will place the demand” of the lawyers before the Punjab and Haryana High Court, the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court, and the Haryana government.
