The Supreme Court on Monday while expressing deep disappointment stated that it expected that the Bar Council of India to suspend the licences of the lawyers who have been on strike in Odisha over a long-standing demand for a permanent bench of the Orissa High Court in the state’s western part, at Sambalpur. The Bench of Justice Sanjay Kishan Kaul & Abhay S. Oka advised the Bar Council of India to take strict action against the District Bar Association members who were involved in the protests.
On 14 November, the bench issued a warning to the lawyers that their licences would be revoked and contempt proceedings would be initiated against them in they failed to “conduct themselves” and desist from such acts that had “practically brought the working of the judicial system to a halt and jeopardised the litigating public.”
Justice Kaul stated, “We had previously warned the associations on numerous occasions that if they did not conduct themselves as members of the noble profession, they would lose their protection. They have done everything possible to invite what we are now directing to uphold the majesty of the law and make the court functional. If the leaders of Odisha’s bar associations seek our intervention, we will have to comply.”
Several bar associations in the state of Odisha continued to refuse to work, according to Justice Kaul’s bench.
Justice Kaul observed that judicial work in at least 20 districts remained hampered in the previous month. A cumulative of 3,216 judicial working hours were lost in the month.
Justice Kaul said that “if adverse orders are required, they should be issued because we have given the litigants the option of coming to court and defending and prosecuting their own proceedings.”
