Even as a writ petition seeking introduction of ‘One bar, one vote’ rule for all lawyers litigating in different bars of Odisha is pending disposal in the Orissa High Court for over a year now, the Odisha State Bar Council on Wednesday announced that the rule as pronounced by the Supreme Court would be implemented in all the 167 bars of the State, including that of the High Court.

Odisha State Bar Council Chairman Chinmay Mohanty told reporters that the ‘One bar, one vote’ rule is part of a guideline set by the Supreme Court in 2015 to identify the number of genuine advocates practising in different courts of the country. “The rule although allows multitude of memberships of different bars yet it gives only one voting right to an advocate.”

“All the bar associations of the State will be provided their respective voters’ lists indicating the individual advocate’s choice of bar to participate in the annual elections to form its executive body,” Mohanty said, adding that the elections of all bars would be held on a particular day of the year from next year, preferably on the third Saturday of every March.

Explaining the details of the procedure, former chairman of the council Manas Mohaptra said the present executive councils of all bars in the State would officiate only up to October 2018.

“There will be no elections in any bar associations from October this year till the next elections held in March 2019 under the ‘One bar, one vote’ rule,” he said.

The Bar Council has also decided to submit a memorandum to the Chief Justice of Odisha urging him to expedite the process of appointment of judges and magistrates in different courts and tribunals in view of the mounting pending cases. The Bar Council also has decided to urge the State Government to set up an Advocates’ Academy in Cuttack immediately

Bar Council introduces one-bar-one-vote rule