In Brief
A senior advocate and Bar president made scurrilous public remarks about the Gujarat High Court and its Registry during COVID-19, calling it a "gambling den" and alleging corruption and favoritism toward wealthy litigants. The High Court convicted him of criminal contempt and withdrew his senior designation. The Supreme Court upheld the conviction but suspended both the conviction and sentence indefinitely under Article 142, citing his repeated apologies and prior punishment. It ordered periodic review of his conduct and requested the High Court to decide separately on withdrawal of his designation, emphasizing that the Bar and Bench must work together as complementary institutions bound by mutual respect and institutional grace.
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