Orissa Lawyers Strike: SC Asks BCI And State Bar Council To Take Action Against Lawyers

A Bench comprising of Justices Sanjay Kishan Kaul and K.M. Joseph directed the Bar Council of India and the Odisha Bar Council to take appropriate action against lawyers on strike in the Orissa High Court. 

The Order rendered by Justices Sanjay Kishan Kaul and K.M. Joseph heard the submissions of the advocates present. The counsel appearing on behalf of the Orissa High Court, Siba Shankar Mishra, requested for two weeks more time to be granted in order to implement the directions set out in Order dated 06.12.2019. He also mentioned that advocates were abstaining from matters for a certain number of days or where only taking up matters regarding bail and injunction. 

The Bench expressed displeasure over the same:

"The aforesaid is completely unacceptable situation. Trials on the civil and criminal side must go on. We thus call upon the High Court to implement what we had set out in order dated 6th December, 2019 even if selective work is being done or lawyers are abstaining from work on specified days."

The Bench also commented on the duties that were to be rendered by advocates:

"We are of the view that such selective working is clearly in breach of the duties of an advocate as also breach of directions of this Court and thus we expect the State Bar Council and the Bar Council of India to take appropriate action and place the same before us within two weeks."

Accordingly, the Bench directed the Bar Councils to find out the advocates who were responsible for the situation and stated that the office bearers were definitely responsible. The Bench also granted liberty to the Registrar of the Orissa High Court to provide names of the lawyers obstructing the judicial process.