The Progressive Lawyers Forum organised a seminar on Role of lawyers in the current judicial scenario on Saturday. Speaking on the challenges of the present judicial system Justice SC Dharmadhikari,a sitting judge of the Bombay High Court,said that every attempt is being made to see that the common man loses his faith in the judiciary. He said the current judicial scenario is passing through a great crisis and vested interests encourage the media to come out and say openly certain things difficult to collaborate. He added that muscle power,mafia and especially media power have the potential of causing damage to the reputation and dignity of the system. Justice Dharmadhikari said there is a tendency for lawyers to be seen adding that most of the times the cause of those making a show of injustice is espoused. He said that a mediocre lawyer is a threat to the existence of the judiciary. Every lawyer wants to go and straight away practice in the higher courts. The real pillar is the subordinate court where they learn the basics and get their foundation, he opined. Advocate Sureshkumar Panicker said there are those lawyers who earn in a dignified manner and those who earn crores through unfair means. We are not mouth-pieces for our client, Panicker said adding that lawyers must have self-imposed discipline. He criticised the recent incidents at the Madras High Court where lawyers clashed with the police and at the Bangalore High Court where judges were locked up. A protest should be done in a strong way but in a dignified and polite manner,said Panicker.
