Lawyers’ Stir: Orissa HC Issues Notice To Govt, Bar Associations

Cuttack: For the first time, the full bench of the Orissa High Court on Tuesday issued a notice to the state government and district bar associations on the ongoing strike by lawyers.

The full HC bench comprising Chief Justice KS Jhaveri and 13 Justices—Sanju Panda, SK Mishra, CR Dash, AK Rath, Biswajit Mohanty, BR Sarangi, D Dash, S Pujahari, Biswanath Rath, SK Sahoo, Pramath Patnaik, KR Mohapatra and AK Mishra—issued the notice to the Chief Secretary, Home Secretary, Law Secretary, chairmen of the Odisha State Bar Council and Bar Council of India and the president and secretary of the Orissa High Court Bar Association. Besides, the bench also issued a notice to the district bar associations who are on the strike.

The officials and associations have to reply to the notice by October 21.

The notice was issued in response to a petition filed by the HC Registrar, stating that court work across in Odisha was badly affected due to the agitation by the lawyers’ bodies.

“As per the information, the bench heard a contempt proceeding with regard to the ongoing strike by the lawyers of the different district bar associations in the state against injustices. But I fail to understand under which provision of the law was the 14-member bench formed to hear the contempt of proceeding,” HC Bar Association president, Gopala Krushna Mohanty told mediapersons here.

Asked about the content of the notice, Mohanty said the Association is yet to receive it. “Once the notice is received, I can tell you the details. The Association will have its next general body meeting tomorrow (Wednesday) and all the members will abide by the decision taken at the meeting,” he added.

Also on Tuesday, the HC Bar Association launched a two-day cease-work in protest against the appointment of judges in the Orissa High Court after a resolution was passed by the Supreme Court collegium, which has recommended names of advocate Sanjeeb Kumar Panigrahi and judicial officer Bibhu Prasad Routray to be appointed as HC judges.

Condemning the collegium system, the Association alleged that it amounted to less transparency in the selection of judges and passed a resolution to take up this matter with the President, Prime Minister and the Union Law Minister.

“We have endorsed the formation of the National Judicial Appointments Commission which would bring more transparency in the appointments and transfers High Court and Supreme Court judges. We have no faith in the collegium system. We demand the abolition of this system and introduction of the National Judicial Commission (NJC) for the appointment and transfer of the judges,” Mohanty said.