Jammu, July 20: Work in the High Court and subordinate courts in the winter capital of the state was paralysed today as Bar Association Jammu (BAJ) began a two-day strike to protest snatching of powers from judicial officers by the Jammu and Kashmir government.
 Number of lawyers assembled at the High Court complex here and raised slogans against the government to demand scrapping of the Jammu and Kashmir Residential and Commercial Tenancy Act.
 The Act divests civil courts of their powers in adjudicating disputes arising between landlords and tenants and vests the powers with Assistant Commissioners and Tehsildars of state revenue department across the state, he said.
 The Association, meanwhile, convened a meeting of the representative lawyers of the Bar Associations from Districts and Mufasils across Jammu Province to chalk out future course of the strike.
 It was learnt that the representations from the District and Mufasil Bar Associations suggested that while a strong opposition shall be lodged across the state yet the process of a dialogue and the legal recourse be kept as a first remedy against the Act.
 BS Slathia, President Bar Association Jammu, informed the members that on his last visit to Kashmir, he held parleys with the MA Qayoom, President Kashmir Bar Association, who also shared his concern over the new Tenancy law.
 “I was informed by the MA Qayoom that Kashmir Bar will also join the protest by suspending their work”, he informed the meeting.
 “We will at the same time take up the issue with the concerned quarters in the government so as to sort out the issue peacefully”, he added.
 He urged the government to be open to a debate before enacting a new legislation proposing to affect and alter the existing system of justice dispensation which is vested with the Judicial Officers that has been successful in keeping intact the faith of general public in courts.

Lastupdate on : Fri, 20 Jul 2012 21:30:00 Makkah time
Lastupdate on : Fri, 20 Jul 2012 18:30:00 GMT
Lastupdate on : Sat, 21 Jul 2012 00:00:00 IST