More than 200 lawyers from all across Tamil Nadu courted arrest on Wednesday at Chennai’s Beach railway station as they were all set for a rail roko protest. So why were the lawyers angry? Did train commuters offend them?

Well, no.

Lawyers across the state are upset over amendments made by the High Court to sec. 14-A of the Advocates Act, 1960.

Advocates want an unconditional withdrawal of the amendments that pave way for disciplinary action against erring lawyers.

However, lawyers voiced that this would curb the independence of advocates and only bar council should be allowed to take disciplinary action against lawyers.

“You cannot make a draconian law/amendment which is going to kill our livelihood and also make us literally go on streets. Our reputation and our character has been assassinated. There have been one or two incidents I accept but this is going against the legal profession,” Rajashekharan, a Madras HC lawyer said.

They added, the present contempt of court provision was good enough to act against erring lawyers.

Lawyers across the state have been protesting ever since the amendments were made, calling it a violation of their fundamental rights.

The Hindu reported Registrar General of the High Court issuing a statement that a committee comprising Justices S. Manikumar, S. Nagamuthu, Rajiv Shakdher, M.M. Sundresh and P.N. Prakash has been constituted to suggest modifications to the amendment.