PANJIM: The Panjim Lawyers Forum
and North Goa Advocates Association boycotted the courts on Wednesday protesting
the shifting of courts to Patto Plaza. They claimed that the shifting was done
without prior notice to lawyers and litigants.
Speaking to the media, lawyers said
they won’t attend the court at Patto and want that the court operate from the
same premises till the new proposed court comes up at Merces.
Advocate Agnelo D’Costa said there
is a ‘secret behind and shifting of courts’ in this manner that is contrary to
the High Court judgement.
Advocate Aires Rodrigues said
that the garbage dump is next to the building where courts have been shifted
and that there is no parking in the area. Everybody will have to shell out
money to park their vehicles when they visit the court, Rodrigues said.
He alleged that the space in
Patto has been leased at Rs 5 crore per annum and for which a case has already
been filed at the JMFC which is yet to come to a conclusion.
Advocate Siddharth Samant
questioned why the courts have been shifted when lawyers don’t want it. He said
there is not enough space at Patto and also questioned the hurry in shifting
the courts.
