Suo motu contempt proceedings have been initiated by the Karnataka High Court over a ruckus allegedly created by advocates in the Chief Justice’s court hall during a lawyers’ protest; the registry has been told to identify those involved from CCTV footage, and notice has gone to the Advocates Association of Bengaluru.
Bengaluru: Recording a prima facie view that the conduct was contemptuous, the Karnataka High Court on Tuesday initiated suo motu contempt of court proceedings against unidentified persons who allegedly disrupted proceedings in the Chief Justice’s court hall amid a protest against violence on advocates. The Court also issued notice to the Advocates Association of Bengaluru (AAB) [In Re: Suo Motu Contempt Proceedings over Court Hall Disruption].
The order was passed on November 3, 2026 by a Division Bench of Chief Justice Vibhu Bakhru and Justice K.S. Hemalekha, which listed the matter for further hearing on November 19.
What the order records
Taking strong exception to the incident, the Bench set down its prima facie view in the order:
“Prima facie, we are of the view that this conduct amounts to contemptuous behaviour.”
It then directed the registry to trace those involved:
“The registry shall identify the persons who attempted to create the ruckus in the court hall by examining the CCTV footage.”
The protest and the court hall
The Karnataka State Bar Council, the AAB and other associations had called for a protest on Tuesday, demanding the strengthening and effective implementation of the Prohibition of Violence Against Advocates Act, 2023, after recent attacks on advocates in different parts of the State. During the protest, several persons allegedly entered the Chief Justice’s court hall and disrupted the hearing, and one person is alleged to have approached the dais.
In court after the order
Once the order had been passed, AAB treasurer Shwetha Ravishankar appeared before the Bench to explain what had happened. She submitted that many people were present and that the person said to have reached the dais had been pushed. The Bench did not accept this and said the person had come up to the dais. When she offered an apology on behalf of the advocates, the Bench said any apology would have to come by way of a formal affidavit.
The Bench referred during the hearing to the Supreme Court’s orders on lawyers’ strikes and on contempt proceedings against office-bearers of bar associations, and observed that it was constrained to act. It also indicated that it could refer the matter to the Bar Council. Remarking on the incident, the Bench said in open court, “This is still the High Court of the State, and if you think that anyone can barge in and start creating a ruckus, then the consequences must follow.”
The Bench noted that it had earlier assured the association that no adverse orders would be passed if lawyers did not appear on the protest day. It declined a request to exempt the office-bearers for the day, saying the association must respond to the contempt notice by affidavit, after which the Court would decide the further course of action.
The proceedings are at the initial stage. No individual has yet been identified or found guilty of contempt, and the persons concerned and the association will be heard before any finding is recorded.
Why the order matters
Contempt in the face of the court is the most direct form of interference with the administration of justice, and the High Court’s power to punish it flows from Article 215 of the Constitution and the Contempt of Courts Act, 1971. The order reflects the settled position, repeatedly stated by the Supreme Court, that the right of advocates to protest does not extend to disrupting court proceedings or abstaining in a way that obstructs justice.
The episode also comes as bar bodies across States press for stronger protection of advocates against violence. The case sets those concerns against the expectation that advocates, as officers of the court, will raise them without disturbing the functioning of the court itself.
Case Title: In Re: Suo Motu Contempt Proceedings over Court Hall Disruption
Bench: Chief Justice Vibhu Bakhru and Justice K.S. Hemalekha, Karnataka High Court
Date of Order: November 3, 2026
Next Hearing: November 19, 2026
Appearance: Shwetha Ravishankar, Treasurer, Advocates Association of Bengaluru