Report to work or lose license: Odisha bar council to lawyers after SC warning

Lawyers in Odisha have been on strike over several issues, the major one being the establishment of a permanent bench of Orissa high court in western Odisha at Sambalpur

Published on: Nov 16, 2022, 10:00:49 IST

By Debabrata Mohanty

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A day after the Supreme Court asked agitating lawyers of various bar associations of Odisha to get back to work or else risk suspension of their license, the Odisha State Bar Council on Tuesday asked bar associations in Sambalpur, Badamba, Tangi, Talcher and Pallahara to end their strike and return to work immediately.

Bar associations in Sambalpur, Badamba, Tangi, Talcher and Pallahara have been asked to end their strike. (File image)

In a letter, J K Samantasinghar, the secretary of the Odisha State Bar Council, warned the agitating lawyers that their license of practice would be suspended if they don’t join their work.

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“Enclosing here with the order received from the Bar Council of India you are hereby categorically directed to immediately call off the ongoing strike otherwise the license of practice of individual lawyers participating in this boycott/abstention shall be put under suspension with immediate effect,” said the letter.

Lawyers in Odisha have been on strike over several issues, the major one being the establishment of a permanent bench of Orissa high court in western Odisha at Sambalpur.

On Monday, the SC bench comprising Justice Sanjay Kishan Kaul and Abhay S Oka had directed the agitating lawyers to resume work from Wednesday after Orissa High Court filed a petition regarding lawyers strike in several districts.

The SC was told that between January 1, 2022 and September 30, 2022, a total of 2,14,176 judicial working hours were lost due to the strike.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Debabrata Mohanty
Debabrata Mohanty is a senior assistant editor of Hindustan Times who works as state correspondent from Odisha covering the state's politics, governance, public policy, natural disasters, environment and its society for close to three decades. With his long years of reporting from the state capital of Bhubaneswar, Mohanty has been known as one of the most experienced and credible journalists covering Odisha for the national English dailies. His reporting combines on-ground detail with deep institutional knowledge detailing the state's changing politics, governance issues, administrative reforms and the functioning of its public institutions. He has regularly reported on issues ranging from legislative developments and public policy implementation. Politics is his core areas of expertise as he closely tracks Odisha's political landscape, including the rise and transformation of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), the Biju Janata Dal (BJD), the two principal political parties in Odisha. His long association with the state's political establishment enables him to write on contemporary developments in a larger political context. Mohanty takes a deep interest in writing human interest stories, environmental issues and documenting the impact of cyclones, floods, heatwaves, and other climate-related events in one of the most disaster-prone states. His coverage extends to public health, governance reforms and stories on accountability of government institutions. Before joining Hindustan Times, Mohanty worked with The Indian Express, Mail Today, and The Telegraph, where he covered at least six general elections and as many assembly elections. In 2007, he was selected for the prestigious Chevening Young Indian Print Journalist Programme at the University of Lincoln, United Kingdom, where he received advanced training in print journalism. In 2009 he won the Press Institute of India-International Committee of Red Cross award on conflict reporting for his on-ground reportage of 2008 Kandhamal riots.Read More