KOCHI: Protests erupted in the Kerala High Court against Justice A. Badharudheen over allegations that he insulted a female advocate during a case hearing. The sitting of his bench, "1D," was disrupted yesterday, while other courts functioned as usual.

The High Court Advocates' Association has written to the Chief Justice, stating that Justice Badharudheen's court will be boycotted unless he offers an apology in open court. In response, Chief Justice Nitin Jamdar has called for discussions with the advocates on Monday.

The controversy arose from an incident that occurred on Thursday. The female advocate, whose husband (a lawyer) had passed away in January, requested more time to submit a new vakalath in a case her late husband had been handling. However, the court denied the request and insisted that she argue the case immediately. Justice Badharudheen also allegedly asked who the deceased advocate was, which caused the advocate to become emotionally distressed. This led to the protest. Despite the controversy, the court has now granted time until July 14 for the new vakalath to be submitted.

Mediation efforts failed
The Advocates' Association held an emergency general body meeting before the court convened yesterday. Senior advocate George Poonthottam informed the members that Justice Badharudheen was willing to apologize in his chamber. However, this was not accepted by the association members.

A group of lawyers entered the courtroom to express their protest, leading to Justice Badharudheen leaving the courtroom and later announcing that the sitting would not continue. Urgent cases were transferred to another bench. Despite discussions between the Chief Justice and the association leaders, no resolution was reached. The association's president, Adv. Yashwant Shenoy has stated in a letter to the Chief Justice that they will take legal action unless an apology is issued in open court.

Not the first complaint against Justice A. Badharudheen

This is not the first complaint against Justice A. Badharudheen. In February last year, advocates had raised concerns about his behaviour. The association is now demanding that he guarantee that such incidents will not be repeated. They have also called for video recording of court proceedings. Justice Badharudheen, a native of Mylakkad, Kollam, was appointed as an Additional Judge of the High Court on June 25, 2021, and was made a permanent judge on January 25, 2023.