Shillong: The High Court of Meghalaya fired two lawyers from their roles as Amicus Curiae on October 7. S. Sen and P. Nongbri missed their hearings after local advocates called for a strike to demand the Advocate General’s removal. The court took a hard line. An Amicus Curiae serves the bench, not the bar.
The court focused on a suo motu PIL regarding property damage during an August 19 public procession. P. Nongbri failed to show up despite Senior Government Advocate AS Dey reaching out to him. The bench of Chief Justice Revati Mohite Dere and Justice W. Diengdoh expressed deep frustration with the move. The court stated, “We are extremely pained and disturbed by the fact, that despite Mr. Nongbri, a very competent member of the Bar, having being appointed as an Amicus to assist this Court has not appeared, presumably, because of the call by the Advocates to go on strike for removal of the Advocate General.”
Judges labeled the behavior as potential professional misconduct. They warned future lawyers that skipping court duties for union pressure could trigger contempt proceedings. Following the firing, the court named K. Paul as the replacement in the PIL matter.
A similar scene unfolded in a separate case involving compliance with Supreme Court directives. S. Sen also stayed away from WP (C) No. 257/2026 and PIL No. 4/2024. The court promptly removed him and installed L. Khyriem as the new advisor. The registry must send all files to Khyriem immediately. That case returns to the docket on October 13, 2026.
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