Karnataka lawyers will stay away from court proceedings across the state on November 3 after the Bengaluru Advocates’ Association called for a protest against recent attacks and killings involving advocates and demanded stronger legal protection for those practising the profession.
The decision was taken unanimously at a general body meeting of the association on October 29, according to a statement attributed to Bengaluru Advocates’ Association president Vivek Subbareddy, general secretary H.V. Praveen Gowda, vice-president C.S. Girish Kumar and treasurer Shweta Ravishankar. The association said lawyers’ organisations across Karnataka would support the statewide protest.
The call follows the association’s condemnation of the killing of Whitefield advocate Manjunath Sriram, the killing of an advocate in Annapoorneshwari Nagar and the attempted murder of advocate Venkataramana Sannakki in Gauribidanur. The association described the incidents as a serious cause for concern over the safety of lawyers.
The protest will affect the normal functioning of courts on November 3 as advocates plan to remain away from proceedings. The report does not specify the number of courts or lawyers expected to participate, nor does it provide details of any court-directed arrangements for matters listed on that day.
The association has demanded that practising advocates receive adequate security and effective legal protection. It has also called for the existing Advocates Safety Act to be strengthened through effective provisions aimed at ensuring lawyers can work without fear, threats or pressure.
The demand places the safety of legal professionals within the wider functioning of the justice system. Lawyers routinely represent parties in disputes and criminal matters, and the association’s position is that threats or attacks can affect their ability to conduct professional work independently. However, the supplied report does not provide details of the existing law’s provisions, enforcement record or any government response to the demand.
The association said the recent incidents had created serious anxiety about the security of advocates and urged measures to prevent attacks. Its statement focused on both immediate safety and the need for a stronger statutory framework rather than on a single security arrangement for individual lawyers.
The statewide action comes with the November 3 date as its immediate milestone. The supplied report does not state whether the Karnataka government, police authorities or the judiciary have announced a response, or whether further discussions with the lawyers’ associations are scheduled.
