Astha
While hearing the petition filed by Yatin Oza to recall his senior designation, the Supreme Court said that finding faults in every institution of democracy meant anarchy.
The Gujarat High Court had initially taken a suo motu cognisance against advocate Yatin Oza on his remarks made against its functioning. The High Court said that Oza also called it a “gambling den.”
The High Court had unanimously held Oza guilty of Contempt of Court and imposed a fine of Rs 2000. It also decided to take Oza’s senior designation away from him.
The Supreme Court had said that there must be something wrong which “perturbed” the High Court to unanimously conclude.
The bench comprising Justices Sanjay K Kaul and Hrishikesh Roy said, “The full court did not take a lenient view despite some observations of the Supreme Court. This means they are really pained by your behaviour.”
Yatin Oza was represented by top lawyers – Arvind Datar, A M Singhvi, and C A Sundaram. The senior advocates, who argued leniency, said that stripping of the senior designation of an advocate was a matter of life and death.
The bench replied that the senior advocates must also be concerned with what has happened. “If you cast aspersions on the institution and cross the line by ascribing motive to the judges, then the litigants’ faith in the judiciary is destroyed. It will create chaos in the society,” said the bench.
Oza had offered his “unconditional and unqualified” apology. He said, “I have suffered enough. It is my humble prayer to put an end to this!”
The case will be taken up in December.