LITIGANTS, LAWYERS AND JUDGES continues...

The Senior Judge, Mr. Justice Addison had been very friendly with Sir Douglas to start with, but their relations gradually worsened and Mr. justice Addison left the Court on retirement with a grouse. The Indian Judges led by Bakhshi Sir Tek Chand, began to protest against the arbitrariness of Douglas Young in liquidation matters.

One Khwaja Nazir Ahmad, a lawyer of not much standing, was appointed by Sir Douglas as liquidator of the Bharat Insurance Company and later on he was exalted to a newly created office-Official Liquidator, Punjab. Khwaja Nazir Ahmad used to say that he could get from Sir Douglas whatever orders he liked, at any time of the day or night, that suited him! He conducted the affairs of different concerns in an autocratic manner and began to interfere even in the administration of justice and in the transfer of judges and ministerial staff. He was even sent on inspection duty inspecting the liquidation work of District Judges. When a District Judge refused to submit to this inspection, he was summarily suspended.

A reign of terror now began in the judicial administration of the Punjab. The reputation of the Lahore High Court reached a very low ebb. To please the Chief Justice certain members of the Bar began to act in a manner which brought discredit to the profession. In this sorry state of affairs all kinds of charges were levelled against Sir Douglas Young.

When he persisted in keeping Lala Harkishan Lal in prison for contempt indefinitely- formally till he purged himself of contempt by apologising to the Chief Justice—the Government of India amended the law, making the contempt of a High Court also punishable by imprisonment for a maximum period of six months only. When Young ordered that all cases of sedition and the like be heard by British judges alone, the Indian judges threatened to resign in a body and he had to eat the humble pie and withdraw his orders.

to be continued....

( This account is maintained by Har Anand Publication)