Now Reading: Meghalaya bar bodies expel Advocate General; SCBA seeks withdrawal
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Meghalaya bar bodies expel Advocate General; SCBA seeks withdrawal
The Supreme Court Bar Association (SCBA) has urged the Meghalaya High Court Bar Association and the Shillong Bar Association to withdraw their joint resolution expelling Advocate General Amit Kumar. The SCBA said…
The Story in Brief
The Supreme Court Bar Association (SCBA) has urged the Meghalaya High Court Bar Association and the Shillong Bar Association to withdraw their joint resolution expelling Advocate General Amit Kumar. The SCBA said the resolution was unwarranted since the issue of safety for women advocates was already before the Meghalaya High Court.
The expulsion followed Kumar's submission on August 3 that bar associations lacked a proper mechanism under the POSH Act to handle sexual harassment complaints. The bar associations took exception, alleging his remarks targeted them. Kumar later clarified his submissions aimed only to highlight institutional gaps and refused to disclose complainants' names without their consent.
The Indian Opinion
Both sides have legitimate concerns, but the AG's remarks were made during judicial proceedings and he respected complainants' privacy by refusing to name them without consent. The bar bodies' expulsion appears hasty, especially since the High Court itself expanded the case scope. The real test will be whether a functional anti-harassment committee is now constituted in Meghalaya's bar associations.
Sources (2): livelaw.in, barandbench.com
This story was synthesised by AI from the 2 sources linked above.
Updated: this story now draws on 2 sources.
