SC refuses to consider plea seeking monthly aid to SC Bar Clerks Association members
Jul 17, 2020
New Delhi [India], July 17 : The Supreme Court on Friday refused to consider a plea seeking directions to the Central government to pay monthly financial assistance of Rs 15,000 to each member of the Supreme Court Bar Clerks Association in view of the pandemic.
A bench of Justice Ashok Bhushan questioned the petitioner how can the court ask the Union government to pay Bar clerks? "Everyone will start coming," the bench observed.
The Association had approached the apex court seeking financial assistance to each member of the association due to the hardships faced by them because of the halted normal functioning of the court in view of the COVID-19 lockdown.
The petitioner association said a financial crunch is being faced by most of its members due to the nationwide lockdown, imposed since March 24, and requested the apex court to direct the government to disburse Rs 15,000 to each member with effect from June.
It said that the role of clerks is intrinsically linked to the work discharged by advocates and given that the income of a lawyer is generated through fresh filings, and since there have been very few filings in the last two months, members of the association have not been paid by their advocates as they too do not have the money.
The government has to come up with a scheme which is specifically aimed at ensuring the sustenance and survival of the Supreme Court clerks during uncertain times, the plea said.
"The Union had announced a 20 crore financial aid pack in the month of May, which covers small scale industries, migrant workers and other financially distressed groups of persons, however, no such scheme has been formulated for the members of the association and other similarly placed persons, in the profession of 'clerk', which is prevalent all over India," it added.
The plea said that these members are an integral and indispensable part of our legal system and their survival must be given utmost importance.
It said that there is a grave violation of Article 21 of the Constitution because of the action/ inaction of the Centre and State governments where no alternative has been provided to the persons like the members of the petitioner association.
