Srinagar: J&K High Court today directed the union territory administration to come up with a clear stand on the release of financial aid to the lawyers affected by the ongoing corona lockdown.
Hearing a plea by advocate M. Abubakr Pandit, the bench comprising Justice A M Magray directed the Commissioner Secretary and the Law Secretary, Department of Law to “come up with clear stand qua release of amount as financial aid to the lawyers on the patterns of already issued guidelines in the previous financial year, when similar type of lockdown/restrictions were imposed on account of Covid-19 pandemic”.
The petitioner, who was present in person before the court, was directed to furnish copy of petition to B.A. Dar, the senior additional advocate general, by any available mode.
The petitioner sought a direction on the administration to grant immediate financial assistance to the tune of Rs 25,000 to each practicing lawyer of Jammu and Kashmir.
He also sought a direction to the administration to formulate a medical and life insurance policy for the welfare of the advocates (and their family members) practicing before the High Court and District Court(s) within the Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir.
He petitioned that the present crisis due to Covid-19 and closure of courts caused serious financial problems for many advocates, including the petitioner, during the period of lockdown.
He recalled in his petition that the government had provided financial assistance to lawyers during the lockdown period of the previous year as well.
Since the spread of the pandemic, many advocates became Covid positive and were also hospitalized. To bear the medical expenses, they approached to various members of the Bar for financial aid whereas there was no assistance by the respondent authorities, he said in the petition.
The petitioner said that the lawyers are the officers of the court and the courts should come forward for their welfare.
“Guidelines be prepared at an earliest for providing the insurance cover to the advocates including their dependent family members,” he pleaded.
He prayed “an order or direction be issued to the concerned officers to grant immediate financial assistance to the tune of Rs 25,000 to each of the advocates who have earlier received the financial assistance and are in actual practice before the High Court and the district courts within the Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir.”
