Orissa High Court Seeks Planning Details Of Elections To Bar Associations

Cuttack: The Orissa High Court on Thursday sought the detailed planning of the Odisha State Bar Council for conducting the elections to bar associations of the state.

A Division Bench headed by Chief Justice Mohammad Rafiq of the High Court heard three writ petitions in this regard and adjourned the matter to July 10.

The elections to form executive bodies of bar associations were held on March 30 last year. The elections were conducted under “one bar one vote” norm for all the 167 bar associations of the state, including the High Court Bar Association.

Though two months have passed since the terms of the last elected executive bodies expired, the bar council has not conducted fresh elections.  At least three writ petitions were filed at the high court seeking to issue directions to the State Bar Council to hold elections of the bar associations.

The bar council has not been able to hold the elections so far in view of the restrictions imposed due to COVID-19 pandemic.