Chennai: Tamil Nadu lawyers continued their war against judicial authorities on Monday by laying a seize on the Madras High Court for its move to discipline the advocates.

For the past three months or so, the lawyers are on a war path against amendments to the rules under the Advocates Act that prescribes disciplinary action against unruly advocates.

Though there are strong protests by lawyers associations from across the state, that congregated outside the Madras High Court, there is a section of the legal fraternity that welcomed the move saying that it was much needed as some members of the legal fraternity were behaving in a manner unbecoming of the legal profession.

However, on Monday, hundreds of lawyers participated in the protests amid tight security to prevent any untoward incident. When some of the lawyers tried to break the cordon and remove the barricades, there was some tension, but eventually the police prevailed and stopped the lawyers from entering the premises.

The protests from the lawyers disrupted the traffic and caused inconvenience to several people. Some lawyers, participating in the protest, said that in the whole tussle between the judicial authorities and the lawyers, it was the common man who was the victim.

S Chandrasekharan, an advocate, said the whole issue could have been averted if the High Court announced that the amendment to the rules were kept in abeyance. The lawyers maintained that the judges had no power to discipline the lawyers, which wrested only with the Bar Council and that they were unwilling to give up this right. Besides, the judicial authorities attempt was unconstitutional, the lawyers said.

In May, the Madras High Court notified amendment of the rules under the Advocates Act prescribing disciplinary action against unruly lawyers so as to ensure peaceful conduct of the court proceedings.

With the protesting lawyers in no mood to relent and judiciary firm in its stand, the common man may have to wait a while for justice. For many, for sure, it would be justice delayed as the lawyers continue with their protests.

The protests will continue till the amendment s are completely withdrawn, the lawyers said.