In Brief
The District Bar Association of Dehradun challenged a High Court order that directed bar associations to cease Saturday boycotts and directed bar councils to take disciplinary action against lawyers participating in strikes. The Supreme Court dismissed the petition and affirmed that lawyers have no constitutional or fundamental right to strike or boycott courts. The Court held that while freedom of speech is protected under Article 19(1)(a), it cannot override the litigants' fundamental right to speedy justice under Articles 14 and 21. Strikes are unprofessional, contemptuous, and harm access to justice. The Court reaffirmed that Bar Councils must prevent such strikes through disciplinary action.
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