HC Bar: Council changes poll panel

The Bar Council of Punjab and Haryana (BCPH) has changed the election committee constituted for the Punjab and Haryana high court Bar body polls, which are slated for September 30.

The development came after the previous committee — headed by senior advocate KS Sidhu — refused to hold the election as per the council’s directive, citing Covid-19 outbreak.

Sidhu in a letter to the Bar council on Friday had said that it cannot force elections on a Bar association. There are no provisions in the Advocates Act or rules which authorise BCPH to suo motu conduct the elections of any Bar associations, Sidhu had stated in his letter, while underlining that many lawyers have gone back to their native places that do not have sufficient infra for online polls.

He had also raised doubts over the transparency of online elections.

Now, BCPH in a fresh communication has constituted a new committee to be headed by Munish Jolly, directing it to take over and comply with the council’s order on elections with immediate effect.

BCPH is a statutory body that regulates entry into legal profession. It has nearly 1 lakh members in Punjab, Haryana, and Chandigarh. Its chairman Karanjit Singh in a fresh letter has stated that elections are being held as per the Bar Association (Constitution and Registration Rules) 2015, upheld by the HC in December 2016.

BCPH has also reasoned that council rules are applicable to all Bars, including HC Bar, as per a 2018 judgment. It further mentions that there are provisions for holding online elections. The letter states that after Sidhu’s letter, a committee was constituted to examine the issue, which suggested forming a new panel.