Editorial
Lawyers turning unruly
Whither custodians of court's sanctity?
THE pro-BNP lawyers created a chaotic situation at the High Court on Sunday, after the court had rejected Begum Khaleda Zia's prayer seeking adjournment of the hearing on her writ petition challenging the government's decision to take away her cantonment residence.
The HC judges were greatly embarrassed as the lawyers branded them as the agents of the ruling party who allegedly could never mete out justice to the BNP chairperson. The matter being sub-judice, the lawyers are supposed to know its implications more than others. Now, it was certainly not expected of the lawyers at the highest court where decorum and decency should always be part of their conduct. It has not only brought disgrace to the court but even the judges felt insecure. They had to plead for safety and at one stage they warned the agitating lawyers of calling police to arrest them. The senior pro-BNP lawyers apparently failed to control their junior colleagues who took an aggressive position against the judges.
It is a matter of worry and shame that the lawyers could not maintain the sanctity of the court that is in charge of dispensation of justice and upholding the rights of people. The lawyers are expected to speak only in the language of law, not of agitation and even react to something not to their liking in a manner that does not hurt their image before the public.
The HC incident is an indicator of the culture of intolerance permeating professional levels. However, belligerence cannot have any place in the highest seat of justice. The attempt to clinch an issue through means crude can be anything but legal. And nobody should show a better understanding of the issue than the lawyers themselves. Shouting and thumping desks might have been a demonstration of the lawyers' commitment to their party but such acts did little to show their respect for the law.
The chaos and confusion created by such aggressive postures will send wrong signals to the people in general. One of the major problems that society is facing today is that respect for the law is fast dwindling. So, it is the lawyers' duty to do everything in their power to uphold respect for law through their personal and professional conducts.
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