All HC judges issue notice on stopping courts work

CUTTACK: For the first time in the history of the Orissa High Court, a bench comprising all 14 judges including the Chief Justice on Tuesday issued notices to the High Court Bar Association and bar associations in 16 districts on the issue of “cessation of courts work due to continuous strike”.
The Court issued the notices to president and secretary of the bar associations to show cause why steps shall not be taken for violation of Supreme Court guidelines related to strike by lawyers. 
The 14-judge bench headed by Chief Justice KS Jhaveri issued the notices after taking cognisance of a suo motu contempt case registered by Registrar General of the High Court on the basis of reports received from District Judges and Registry of High Court on strike by lawyers.

While referring the case for contempt to the 14-judge bench, the Registrar General said, “In view of continuous strike and cessation of courts’ work by the Bar members in some parts of the State including the High Court thereby obstructing the administration of justice and in view of the number of decisions of the Supreme Court on this issue, the matter is required to be considered in judicial side.”
The Court also issued notices to Bar Council of Odisha, Bar Council of India, State Chief Secretary, Principal Secretary (Home) and Principal Secretary (Law) and fixed October 21 as next date of hearing in the matter.

Among the districts of which bar associations were issued notices included Sambalpur, Balangir, Jharsuguda, Subarnapur, Deogarh, Bargarh, Nabarangpur, Boudh, Sundargarh, Kalahandi, Gajapati, Koraput,Rayagada,Ganjam, Mayurbhanj and Khurda.
The suo motu contempt case was incidentally taken up by the 14-judge bench a day after the high court bar association started boycotting court work protesting against the resolution passed by the Supreme Court collegium on October 3.

The Court order referred to Supreme Court guidelines prescribed in two judgments which restricted protests by lawyers only to giving press statements, TV interviews, carrying out on Court premises banners and/or placards, wearing black or white or any colour arm bands, peaceful protest marches outside and away from Court premises, going on dharnas or relay fasts etc.