ON March 18, the apex court stayed proceedings in the Delhi High Court regarding giving priority to the legal fraternity for administering the Covid 19 vaccine and favoured transferring the suo motu case to itself for adjudication.
A bench of Chief Justice SA Bobde and Justices AS Bopanna and V Ramasubramanian asked the centre to consider the request of lawyers for priority in vaccination as their livelihood depended on contact with people and their apprehension of getting the infection was genuine.
The Court was hearing petitions filed by the two firms seeking transfer of the pending cases related to Covid-19 vaccination in various High Courts to the Supreme Court and a PIL seeking priority in vaccination of lawyers and judges.
It was stated by the Court that journalists' work can be done without coming in contact with people, unlike lawyers whose livelihood depends on direct interaction with their clients. “Their meeting people is connected to their livelihood. Advocates can earn money only when they can come in contact with people. And they want to be protected. What we want to know if you have any reservation in hearing the advocates on this point,” said the bench.
Solicitor General Tushar Mehta, representing the centre, argued “that the vaccination for those above 60 years of age, and those between 45 and 59 with 20 identified diseases, was based on their vulnerability and a rational criterion of averting mortality, I don’t belong to any of these classes and hence, I am also not vaccinated. I am from the same fraternity. But how can a 30-year-old lawyer be put on par with a vegetable vendor sitting in a market who has to go through the same hustle-bustle and meet far greater number of people to earn his livelihood? Tomorrow, journalists may also make the same demand based on their meeting a large number of people.”
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