Today, the Suprme Court of India, requested all the High Courts of India to constitute grievance redressal committees comprising the Chief justice and two other senior judges. This order was passed to prevent lawyers strike.

A division bench of Justices MR Shah and Ahsanuddin Amanullah was hearing a suo motu case regarding rampant strikes in bar associations across the country leading to massive disruption of the court's work.

The bench further recommended, "The high court may also constitute similar grievance redressal committee at the district court level."

With regard to the objective of such committees, the bench explained that it could consider genuine grievances related to any difference of opinion or dissatisfaction arising out of any procedural changes relating to the filing or listing of matters, as well as any genuine grievances pertaining to misbehaviour by any member of the lower judiciary. Such allegation of misbehaviour, the bench clarified, must be genuine and not designed to 'keep the pressure' on a judicial officer.

Finally, with a direction to the registry to send copies of this order to the registrar generals of high courts, the suo motu petition was disposed of.

Last month, the BCI agreed before the Supreme Court to suggest the nature of grievances which can be considered by the Grievance Redressal Committees, which are proposed to be set up at local levels to avert the strikes by lawyers.

“This has already been stated by this Court at least10 times; not to go strike”, the Court remarked while adding that the committees were for the individual High Courts to consider.