A week after the Punjab and Haryana High Court (HC) expressed hope that “wiser heads will prevail” in the ongoing lawyers’ agitation against the Legal Aid Defence Counsel (LADC) system, the Punjab and Haryana High Court Bar Association on Monday called for a General House meeting for July 28 to decide the future course of action on the contentious issue.In a notice issued after an emergent meeting of its Executive Committee, the High Court Bar Association said its office-bearers had unanimously resolved to closely watch and participate in the proceedings before the High Court on Tuesday.The Association further announced that a General House meeting of its members would thereafter be held at 1.30 pm to consider the developments before the High Court and collectively decide the future course of action.”All Members of the Bar are requested to remain present and participate in the General House Meeting, as the issue directly concerns the dignity, independence, livelihood and future of the legal fraternity,” the notice said, adding that the Bar stood united and the next course of action would be decided collectively.The development comes after the Punjab and Haryana High Court, while hearing a public interest litigation alleging denial of access to justice because of the ongoing boycott by lawyers in Punjab, refrained from issuing any immediate directions and instead expressed confidence that the issue would be resolved at the Bar level.Hearing the petition filed by advocate Arvind Seth, the Division Bench of Acting Chief Justice Ashwani Kumar Mishra and Justice Rohit Kapoor had observed that the President of the Punjab and Haryana High Court Bar Association, members of the Bar Council and senior counsel believed the dispute ought to be resolved amicably within the legal fraternity.”We hope and trust that wiser heads will prevail and this Court would not be called upon to deal with the issue… on the judicial side,” the Bench had observed.The PIL contended that the indefinite boycott by lawyers protesting against the implementation of the LADC system had disrupted court functioning and denied litigants access to justice. The petitioner sought directions for restoration of normal judicial work in Punjab courts.