Other States - Orissa

High Court lawyers call off stir

CUTTACK: The lawyers of Orissa High Court on Wednesday decided to call off their weeklong stir in view of the recent developments which indicated that the High Court has reportedly turned down the request of Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik with regard to setting up of permanent circuit benches of the court at Sambalpur and Berhampur.

The lawyers, however, will abstain from court on Thursday and Friday in protest against terrorist attacks on some courts in Uttar Pradesh last week. The lawyers will resume work from next Monday, according to a resolution passed by HC Bar Association.

Bar Association president Yeeshan Mohanty said: “It is reliably learnt that the ‘motivated’ and ‘mischievous’ proposal of Mr. Naveen Patnaik with regard to setting up of permanent or circuit bench of the High Court at Sambalpur and Berhampur was rejected by the Full Court of the HC.”

The reason for which the Chief Minister’s proposal was turned down was not yet known, Mr. Mohanty said.

“The Chief Minister’s move was motivated by oblique and collateral political considerations inter alia causing fissures amongst the community of lawyers of Orissa,” said Bar Association secretary B.S. Tripathy.

It may be noted here that the Chief Minister had earlier this month requested the State Chief Justice A.K. Ganguly to consider opening of permanent or circuit benches of the High Court at Berhampur in south and Sambalpur in western part of the city. The Chief Minister had made this request in view of massive public demand from these areas.

Following this move, many other district Bar associations also made similar demands and paralysed the court proceedings by launching agitations. While the Bhubansewar Bar association has been on strike for over a fortnight demanding complete shifting of the High Court from Cuttack to the State capital, the lawyers of Mayurbhanj district called for a Baripada bandh on Tuesday demanding circuit bench.

Lawyers of High Court pointed out that establishment of circuit benches would result in affecting the administration of justice and disintegrate the High Court.

“Since it is detrimental to public interest, the government should restrain itself from making any such move in future,” said Jayant Das, former advocate general and a senior advocate of the High Court.

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