Lawyers to protest against sentencing

New Delhi - A day after 19 lawyers were sentenced to six months' rigorous imprisonment by a city court for flouting a high court directive, the Delhi Bar Association said on Saturday it would boycott the court of the judge who pronounced the judgement.

The Delhi Bar Association has asked the lawyers fraternity to boycott the court of Metropolitan Magistrate Sandeep Yadav at Tis Hazari.

"We have decided to protest on Monday by wearing red badges, but we will work so that ordinary people don't suffer because of us," said R.N. Vats, secretary, Delhi Bar Association.

He said they would make a representation before a Delhi High Court committee in order to sort out the matter.

On Friday, Yadav held the lawyers guilty of flouting a high court order in 2005 not to go on strike and sentenced them to a maximum punishment of six months. However, all got bail soon after the verdict.

On Feb 11, 2005, the lawyers had walked down from the court to the Civil Lines to protest shifting of some lawyers and courts from the Tis Hazari court complex to the new Rohini complex.

The Delhi High Court had booked the lawyers under section 144 of the Indian Penal Code (joining unlawful assembly). The 19 lawyers were in police custody for six days before being released on bail.