Chief Justice Sirpurkar addresses lawyers in Malda. Picture by Surajit Roy

Malda, Sept. 20: The Chief Justice of Calcutta High Court, V.S Sirpurkar, today took the Malda Bar Association to task for sticking to their 30-year-old resolution of not working on days on which political parties have declared bandhs. He asked the association to “tear up the decision at the earliest”.

Justice Sirpurkar, who had come here to inaugurate a new building of the district court, was stunned when he heard that the bar in Malda remained closed today in response to a strike called by the Naxalites in the region.

The astonishment, close to disbelief, was triggered by an announcement by the president of the association Nikhil Behari Gupta that today’s stop-work was a result of a resolution taken 30 years ago. “I never heard that a bar remains closed during a strike. On what grounds should it remain closed? How is it possible? In Calcutta, too, there are frequent bandhs and boycotts but the bar there remains open,” the Chief Justice said.

Chief Justice Sirpurkar reminded the association members that in a district where over 11,000 cases remained unresolved, it did not befit lawyers to observe bandhs. He said a few days ago, the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court had suggested opening evening courts in Calcutta for the benefit of those who cannot attend court during regular office hours.

Taking the cue, the Calcutta Bar Council has taken the initiative to introduce second-shift systems — from 6 pm to 9 pm — as a test case in four districts. “I want Malda Bar Association to take up a similar drive,” he said.

Chief Justice Sirpurkar also said the circuit bench would be opened shortly and a subdivisional court will be set up at Chanchal in Malda district.

Law minister Rabilal Moitra, who also addressed the meet, assured the gathering that the renovation and modernisation of courts would begin soon.