Teesha
The Delhi High Court asked the Delhi Government and Centre if the judicial officers and legal aid lawyers in the age group of 18-44, working to decongest prisons as per the Supreme Court’s order, can walk in for vaccination shots at the centre’s set up in district courts.
While hearing the plea of Delhi State Legal Services Authority (DSLSA) represented by Advocate Ajay Verma seeking directions of the centre and state to urgently vaccinate judicial officers and legal aid lawyers on a priority basis.
Justice Navin Chawla commented “you cannot send someone to war without gun”
The Central government apprised that at present there is no separate classification of lawyers as frontline workers for vaccination and further contended that the issue of vaccinating lawyers was a pan-India concern.
Noting down the Additional Solicitor General Chetan Sharma’s premise that the gestation period between the two shots of vaccination would expose the Lawyers to the risk of COVID-19, the Court remarked that It would provide some “solace” to these lawyers if they get the first shot on priority basis
Santosh K Tripathi standing counsel of the Delhi Government told the court that the lawyers in the block of 45 years and above can walk in for vaccination at its centre, however, the age group of 18-44 is under the discretion of the Centre.
DSLSA submitted to the Centre and Delhi government a list of its empanelled lawyers for the purpose of vaccination as directed by the court on May 11.
The Court observed that the lawyers seeking bail for the convicts inside the prison to vacate the same are selflessly working to help easy functioning of the directions of the court.
The Court stated, “They are wrongfully discriminatingly excluded from the list of frontline workers.”
Further, the court said that, “If these lawyers decide to stay at home so as not to risk their lives, “then who will implement the orders of the Supreme Court to decongest jails?
