Supreme Court Bar Association (SCBA) President Pradeep Rai on Tuesday said Chief Justice of India Surya Kant intervened to secure the release of advocates detained by police from outside their chambers near the Supreme Court, asserting that lawyers have a constitutional right to peacefully express dissent against the government, individuals and public institutions. Addressing a gathering held in solidarity with the detained advocates, Rai said the protest was organised to register the Bar’s opposition to the detention of lawyers from outside their chambers near the Supreme Court.
He said advocates were entitled to express their views on matters of public concern, even when their opinions were critical of the government, individuals or institutions.
“The purpose of today’s gathering was to stand in solidarity with our fellow advocates who were detained. We believe that they have a legitimate constitutional right to express their views,” Rai said.
He added that the SCBA had approached the authorities and officials, urging them to ensure that advocates were not subjected to such treatment. According to Rai, once the police officers were apprised of the situation, CJI Surya Kant personally intervened, following which all the detained advocates were released.
Emphasising that the issue extended beyond the immediate incident, Rai said differences in ideology should not undermine the shared responsibility of lawyers to safeguard the dignity and institutional integrity of the Supreme Court.
“Even if we do not agree with someone’s ideology, and even if our ideologies differ, we all agree on one thing: the integrity and dignity of the Supreme Court as an institution are deeply important to all of us,” he said.
Rai’s remarks come amid tensions surrounding protests in Delhi against Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar and the Election Commission of India’s Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls. The demonstrations have triggered concerns over the detention of protesters and advocates, as well as the restrictions imposed during the protests.
The SCBA has maintained that the right to peaceful expression must be respected while underlining the importance of protecting the independence, dignity and functioning of the Supreme Court.
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