Kerala HC forms committee to improve lawyer-police relations

Kochi, June 9 In the wake of reports of the growing rift between the lawyers and the police, the Kerala High Court on Monday constituted a committee to suggest comprehensive guidelines to improve the relationship between the two sections.

The committee set up by a bench of Justices A.K. Jayasankarana Nambiar and P.M. Manoj will comprise state Advocate General K. Gopalakrishna Kurup, Director General of Prosecution T.A. Shaji, senior advocates Santhosh Mathew and S. Sreekumar, and Kerala High Court Advocates' Association President Yeshwanth Shenoy.

The court asked the newly-formed committee to review a report submitted by the state police chief, Shaik Darvesh Saheb, regarding the policy for interactions between themselves within court premises, as well as suggest measures for overall improvement of the relationship between lawyers and police.

It passed the order on a suo motu case it had initiated last year to address instances of police violence against lawyers in the state after an advocate was allegedly attacked by police officials while in the premises of a court in Alappuzha.

The incident had led to court boycotts and protests by no less than 15 bar associations across the state, and when the cases increased, the court had decided that it would issue guidelines that police authorities would have to adhere to while interacting with lawyers, judges and staff members of courts across the state.

Incidentally, in an earlier hearing, the court made its position clear that they are keen to come to put in place a policy to deal with interactions on court premises and had directed the state police chief to invite suggestions from various stakeholders and submit a report.

On Monday, the court, after going through the report of the state police, decided to form a committee to review it thoroughly and make additional suggestions if needed and posted the matter after two weeks.

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