In Brief
A lawyer was convicted of contempt of court for allegedly charging excessive fees (Rs. 7.05 lakhs) without providing adequate assistance and withdrawing from a case. The Supreme Court set aside the conviction, finding that the contempt proceedings violated procedural fairness: the lawyer was denied the opportunity to cross-examine the complainant or adduce evidence in his defence. The Court held that contempt convictions cannot rest on unilateral allegations alone and must follow due process. Since the Bar Council had absolved the lawyer and he had complied with a refund order (Rs. 4 lakhs), the conviction and two-month suspension were set aside.
The lawyer headnote and full judgment text are available to registered users.