Bhubaneswar: The Supreme Court today directed the Bar Council of India to suspend the licenses of agitating lawyers in several districts of Odisha. The bench, headed by Justice Sanjay Kishan Kaul, also directed for arrangements by police to prevent lawyers from obstructing the working of court.
Earlier, the Supreme Court had warned the Odisha lawyers on a strike demanding a permanent bench of the High Court in western part of the state, to resume work or face consequences.
“100% work to be resumed,” the court said. The top court was hearing an application filed by the Registrar General of the Orissa High Court saying the bar associations’ strike in several districts has seriously hampered the judicial work in all the subordinate courts.
Earlier, the Sambalpur District Bar Association had said that around 1600 lawyers will surrender their licence if one of them is suspended. The agitators have resorted to cease-work demanding establishment of a permanent bench of the Orissa High Court in Sambalpur.
