CUTTACK: A full bench of Orissa High Court on Monday fixed March 2 for further hearing on the contempt case related to the ongoing strike by lawyers in different parts of the State demanding creation of a HC Bench in their region.
The Full Court adjourned hearing after the State Bar Council (SBC) submitted before it that 10 bar associations in Western Odisha were still continuing with their strike. The SBC on January 22 had recommended to the Bar Council of India for disciplinary action against office bearers of 17 bar associations of Western Odisha for continued abstention of court work in spite of Supreme Court orders.
The SBC stated before the Court that seven bar associations had since withdrawn their strike. But Sambalpur, Balangir and Jharsuguda along with seven other bar associations in these districts were still continuing with their strike.
On October 15 last year, the Court had taken cognisance of cessation of court work due to prolonged strike by lawyers and issued notices to 67 sub-ordinate court bar associations in 16 districts seeking reply why steps shall not be taken for violation of Supreme Court guidelines.
A response was also sought from the SBC by the Full Court while adjourning the contempt case as the Supreme Court had taken up the issue while adjudicating on a transfer petition.During hearing on the transfer petition on January 10, the High Court had informed the Supreme Court that lawyers in some parts were abstaining from court work in certain number of days every month or only allowing bail and injunction matters to be taken up.
The Supreme Court, however, had ordered, “The aforesaid is completely unacceptable situation. Trials on the civil and criminal sides must go on. We thus call upon the High Court to implement what we had set out in December 6, 2019 order even if selective work is being done or lawyers are abstaining from work on specified days.”
On December 6, 2019, the Supreme Court had asked the High Court to identify courts in adjacent districts, where persons can seek redressal of their grievances, and create concurrent jurisdiction for the cases. It had also directed transfer of adequate number of officers from the non-working districts to the working districts for the said purpose.Following which, the High Court on January 13 had conferred concurrent jurisdiction on the courts of all cadres in adjacent districts.