Lawyers to wear ‘white bands’ as HC upholds shifting of courts to Patto
GOANEWS DESK, PANAJI | 11 January 2016 21:42 IST
Four courts of Panaji would probably start functioning in a new highly paid rented building, after a month-long boycott, as the high court today dismissed the petition of lawyers challenging shifting of the court.
The lawyers, who have been protesting against the shifting, have decided to wear ‘white bands’ on their black coats in protest while attending the court proceedings.
The protesting lawyers are also expected to meet at the Institute Menezes Braganza hall on 13 January to plan out the future course of action.
Lawyers of North Goa had boycotted all the four civil and criminal courts in protest of sudden secretive shifting on 11 December last year.
The North Goa Lawyers’ Association, also supported by Bar Association of Bombay high court at Goa, had opposed the shifting of four courts to a new building ‘Spaces’ at Patto Plaza.
They had alleged that the courts were shifted purely to benefit a BJP-supported builder – Nilesh Amonkar – who is not getting clients there due to unbearable smell of garbage being treated opposite this building.
The monthly rent of the building runs into crores of rupees, they had alleged.
While North Goa District and Sessions judge B P Deshpande had suddenly put up a notice of shifting of the courts, the agitating lawyers had approached the high court with a petition while also talking to the chief justice through a conference call.
Pending the orders, not a single lawyer attended the court proceedings for the last one month.
Their action was also supported by lawyers of South Goa, Bicholim and Pernem.
The Bombay high court at Goa however today dismissed the petition.
