Jodhpur, Jan. 28 -- The Rajasthan high court, making a strong observation on lawyers' strikes on Tuesday, stated that boycotting courts is neither legally permissible nor in the interest of justice. The court clarified that lawyers have no right to strike or boycott, as it directly affects the fundamental rights of undertrial prisoners and ordinary citizens, a petitioner familiar with the case said. A single bench of Justice Anoop Kumar Dhand noted: "On a resolution passed by three different Bar Associations of this Court, two at the Principal Seat at Jodhpur and one at the Jaipur Bench, all the lawyers have decided to abstain from work and remain on strike as a mark of protest against the decision taken by the Full Court for declaring two working Saturdays in every month." The court, citing the Supreme Court's decision in Ex-Capt. Harish Uppal vs Union of India, said: "Lawyers have no right to go on strike, or give a call for boycott, or even a token strike. The Apex Court has further expressed that lawyers abstaining from work hold litigants at ransom. The functioning and working of the Court cannot be allowed to stop, particularly in matters involving the personal liberty of persons languishing in jails." "Three Bar Associations of lawyers have expressed their opposition to designating two regular working Saturdays in every month. Some representations have reportedly been submitted by these Bar Associations for the redressal of their grievances. A committee has already been constituted to look into the matter and submit its report for taking an appropriate decision. The decision is still awaited. Going on strike and remaining absent from court work is not a solution. All problems have solutions and can be settled by debate and dialogue. Every challenge has a solution. Debate and dialogue can lead to a better understanding and are also necessary for achieving any solution," the bench said. The bench added: "When lawyers boycott the courts, it directly violates the rights of litigants to speedy justice, as guaranteed under Article 21 of the Constitution of India. An amendment has also been proposed in the Advocates' Amendment Bill, 2025, which prohibits lawyers from boycotting or abstaining from court work." It added: "In a democratic setup, the right to dissent, express opinions, and protest against decisions is a fundamental right, often derived from freedom of speech, expression, and peaceful assembly. However, this right is not absolute and is generally expected to be exercised peacefully without causing public disorder or hampering the cause of justice. The protest must be made in a peaceful, non-violent, and unarmed manner, as defined under Article 19(1)(b) of the Constitution of India."...