On 9th July 2021 (Friday), the Kerala High Court Advocate's Association issued a notice warning its members that if they continue to utilise the e-filing technique in contravention of its ruling, they will face disciplinary actions.
The KHCAA determined in its General Body Conferences on the 16th and 17th of May 2021 that it will not use the e-filing method to file cases and that all of its members will file cases physically.
The Association expressed gratitude to the majority of its members for standing firm in the execution of the aforementioned decision.
When the Association noticed that a few members were breaking the rules, it issued a statement stating, the flagrant indiscipline shown by a few without any justification needs to be firmly standardised, and they are accountable to be adhered to a disciplinary proceeding under Rule 13A of the Kerala High Court Advocates’ Association Rules 1971.
‘The credibility of our Bar rests on unity and strict obedience to our Bar Association's collective decisions,’ the notification stated.
As a result, the Association cautioned that disciplinary actions against delinquent members would be launched without further notification if it was discovered that they were unwilling to alter their ways.
This comes after the KHCAA made a stand on its own in opposition to the Kerala High Court's introduction of the Electronic Filing Rules for Courts (Kerala), 2021. The Kerala Bar Council has also stated its opposition to the aforementioned Rules.
The Organization had written to the Chief Justice of the Kerala High Court, requesting that the Rules be repealed. KHCAA had lately filed two extensive studies addressing the legal and technological problems involved in the E-filing Rules, but no effort had been made as a result.
