After SC’s Rap, Odisha Bar Council Asks Lawyers To End Strike, Return To Work

Cuttack: A day after Supreme Court rapped lawyers for boycotting courts, the Odisha State Bar Council on Tuesday directed bar associations in Sambalpur, Badamba, Tangi, Talcher and Pallahara to end their strike and return to work immediately.

In his letter, Odisha State Bar Council secretary J K Samantasinghar has asked the agitating lawyers to comply or lose their licence of practice. “Enclosing here with the order received from the Bar Council of India you are hereby categorically directed to immediately call off the ongoing strike otherwise the license of the practice of individual lawyers participating in this boycott/abstention shall be put under suspension with immediate effect,” read the letter.

On Monday, the SC had come down heavily on the striking lawyers, who abstained from court proceedings over several demands, including establishment of a permanent bench of Orissa High Court in western Odisha at Sambalpur, after Orissa High Court in a petition informed about the loss of over 2 lakh working hours in the last nine months.

Directing them to resume work from Wednesday, the bench comprising Justice Sanjay Kishan Kaul and Abhay S Oka said that the recalcitrant lawyers will be held guilty of contempt of court and even their licence suspended/cancelled will they fail to comply with the order and “fall in line”.

Also Read: Resume Work Or Face Contempt, Suspension Of Licence: SC To Striking Lawyers Of Odisha