Court boycott invites contempt notices for 26 lawyers in Meghalaya
The High Court of Meghalaya has issued contempt notices to 26 bar association members for boycotting judicial work to demand the removal of the Advocate General. The court ruled the protest illegal, noting it disrupted the administration of justice and left litigants without representation.
Why it matters
This case underscores the conflict between professional associations and constitutional offices, and the judiciary's firm stance against work stoppages that impede public access to justice.
The High Court of Meghalaya has issued contempt notices to 26 bar association office-bearers, observing that their call to boycott judicial work demanding the removal of Advocate General Amit Kumar was “completely unacceptable and illegal”.
The bench of Chief Justice Revati Mohite Dere and Justice H.S. Thangkhiew issued the contempt notices on Thursday (October 8, 2026) under Section 15 of the Contempt of Courts Act, read with Article 215 of the Constitution of India.
Hearing a suo motu PIL (public interest litigation), the bench said lawyers cannot use the courts to achieve their objective, noting that their protest since October 1 disrupted judicial work and left litigants without legal representation. The PIL was registered after the High Court of Meghalaya Bar Association and the Shillong Bar Association asked lawyers across the State to abstain from judicial work.
Get smarter about the news
Sign up free for a feed built around what you actually care about, Dive Deeper research on any story, and the full text of every article.
Create free accountAlready have an account? Sign in