Odisha Lawyers Asked to Withdraw Stir Or Face Action

New Delhi/Cuttack: The Bar Council of India (BCI) on Monday threatened action against the agitating lawyers of Odisha if they failed to withdraw their ongoing cease work immediately.

In a notice to the 68 District Bar associations including the Orissa High Court Bar Association, the BCI asked the lawyers to join the duty and cooperate in the smooth functioning of the court.

“The unnecessary, unjustified and baseless abstentions or the boycotts even for a day cannot be tolerated by this Council and that will amount to gross misconduct,” it added.

While directing the lawyers’ bodies to inform about joining their duty by November 3, the BCI said if any lawyer violates its directive, he/she will be suspended and his/her election to the Bar will be declared null and void.

Briefing the media on the BCI notice, president of the Orissa High Court Bar Association Gopal Krushna Mohanty said the Association will take a decision in this regard at its general body meeting on November 1.

The Supreme Court on October 24 had served a notice to the chairman of the Odisha State Bar Council and president of the Orissa High Court Bar Association to appear in person.

The apex court had also asked the chairman of the Bar Council of India to assist it on the action taken against agitating lawyers who have stalled proceedings in the High Court and district courts in Odisha.

It had also directed the Odisha government to provide adequate security to the litigants and lawyers who are willing to join their duty.

The apex court had directed High Court Advocate Sivashankar Mishra to submit an affidavit mentioning the total number of workdays of the High Court and the lower courts in the state that were hampered from 2018 till date due to the lawyers strike.