Even as the Chief Justice of India (CJI) DY Chandrachud inaugurated the new Supreme Court Museum on Thursday, the Supreme Court Bar Association (SCBA) resolved to boycott the function. The tussle between the Bar and the Bench seems to be heating up as after SCBA, all members of Supreme Court Advocate On Record Association (SCAORA) Executive Committee have also unanimously decided to abstain from attending the function today.
Chief Justice of India DY Chandrachud inaugurated the National Judicial Museum and Archive (NJMA) at the Supreme Court in the presence of other Supreme Court judges.
The SCBA in its Wednesday resolution had reiterated its demand for allocation of the vacant space to the SCBA to set up a Library and cafe/lounge for Bar members instead of the Museum. It further said that all major decisions concerning the Bar and Supreme Court Complex should be taken in consultation with SCBA.
In a resolution dated November 6, 2024, the majority of the Executive Committee (EC) of the SCBA reiterated its earlier demand that the vacant space in the High-Security Zone of the Supreme Court grounds be allocated to the SCBA to establish a library and cafe/lounge for its members, rather than a museum.
"The MAJORITY OF THE Executive Committee of the Supreme Court Bar Association, as an equal stakeholder in the administration of justice strongly objects and is deeply concerned that, despite the unanimous resolution passed by the SCBA Executive Committee on 24/10/2024, whereby the SCBA EC requested that since the former judges' library was being moved to the Additional Building complex and the current cafeteria was insufficient to meet the needs of the bar's members, the vacant space be given to the Supreme Court Bar Association to establish a library and cafe/lounge for Bar members in place of the proposed Supreme Court Museum in the High-Security Zone of the Supreme Court's grounds, it has come to our attention that even though our aforesaid demand is still pending consideration, now a function for the inauguration of the Museum is being organized on 07.11.2024 at 10 am at the proposed vacant space," the resolution read.
Interestingly, SCBA President Kapil Sibal did not sign the boycott resolution signed by majority if executive committee members. The former SCBA President, Senior Advocate Dr Adish C Aggarwala wrote a letter to Kapil Sibal objecting to him not signing the resolution to boycott. Out of 21 memebers, 17 have signed the resolution.
"I have come to know that you have called the learned members of Executive Committee members on 24.10.2024 and got their signatures on the Resolution by Circulation on the pretext that the Hon'ble Supreme Court has not consulted the Executive Committee of SCBA before bringing radical changes in its emblem, statue of Lady Justice and for deciding to set up Supreme Court Museum in the High-Security Zone of the Supreme Court's grounds at the cost of library and cafe/lounge for Bar members.
I am sorry to observe that you moved the Resolution dated 24.10.2024 just to criticize the Hon'ble Supreme Court on the point of Emblem and statue of Lady Justice and you was not having any interest to set up library and cafe/lounge for Bar members. If you were really interested to set up " library and cafe/lounge for Bar members", then you would have moved the Resolution of boycotting the inaugural ceremony of Museum," the letter addressed toKapil Sibal read.
