Patna High Court lawyers protest on Tuesday. Picture by Ashok Sinha

Patna, Feb. 15: Residents across the state with legal engagements were in for a harrowing time today with around 80,000 lawyers, including advocates of Patna High Court, going on a weeklong strike to protest against the setting up of evening courts.

Clients, who had come from far-flung districts, had a tough time in the high court.

“I came from Supaul yesterday, hoping that my case would be heard. But now I hear about the strike. I have to return home and wait till the strike is over,” said Bindeshwari Yadav, who is trying to get a relative a job on compassionate grounds. Instead of informing her about the strike, Yadav’s lawyer charged her Rs 500 as fee for the day.

The Bihar State Bar Council and different lawyers’ associations are supporting the strike. The lawyers are demanding the withdrawal of the high court notification on setting up of evening courts that have been functioning since December 6, last year.

Patna High Court judges held their court on time but had to rise soon as no proceedings could be taken further because of the boycott. Though the lawyers had come to court, their attendance in official work was thin.

Baleshwar Sharma, the chairman of the state bar council, told The Telegraph: “The response has been tremendous. Almost 100 per cent abstentions were recorded across the state. The lawyers will work in their chambers, sit in bar associations, meet with clients, draft agreement and affidavits. But they will not appear or argue cases in court across the state for a week. If our demand is not met with we will review it on February 19. We may go on an indefinite strike.”

Even the functioning of executive courts of district magistrates, commissioners, sub-division, boards, tribunals and corporation were crippled by the protest.

Sharma admitted that the protest would cause inconvenience to common people. “We know that our strike will have an adverse effect on the disposal of cases. But some sacrifices have to be made for larger objectives,” he said.

On being asked why the lawyers were opposing the evening courts that were being set up to clear the massive backlog of cases, Sharma said: “The evening courts would not solve the problem as there is a serious lack of infrastructure. Also there needs to be an improvement in the law and order condition before the evening courts can function properly.”

He added: “When witnesses and lawyers are intimidated or killed in daylight, how can we have courts post sundown? Especially when there is such a serious power crisis in the state.”

Sharma said: “Instead of starting evening courts, vacancies in the lower judiciary should be filled up. Evening courts would be too taxing, not only for the lawyers but also for the court employees.”