The Supreme Court, has refused to entertain bail applications of lawyers who had resorted to vandalism demanding formation of new Benches of the Orissa High Court.
The Counsel for Central Action Committee (CAC) of all Bar Associations of Western Odisha, said that 26 male lawyers and 4 women lawyers, are behind the bars since the past 45 days.
The Counsel of the District Court has refused to enlarge the advocates on bail. Their bail applications are now before the Odisha High Court. The Counsel claimed that the High Court has deferred the hearing on several occasions.
A Bench comprising Justice S.K. Kaul and Justice A.S. Oka said that this is not a bail court. The bench further said that counsel to pursue the matter before the High Court. Justice Kaul remarked. Apply there.
A strike was called by the District Bar Association, Sambalpur in December 2022,demanding the establishment of a permanent Bench of Orissa High Court in Sambalpur district had gone rogue when massive clashes erupted between the lawyers and the police.
The Apex Court had passed orders to the State Government of Odisha and the State Police to take stringent actions against striking lawyers. Apart from the Bar Council suspending the license of the concerned advocates, police arrests were also made.
The Bench was very angry with the vandalism and had asked the authorities to not moddly coddle them.
The bench said that lawyers must use their license responsibly…The disruption of normal functioning affects the litigants. We are saying so in the general context not with respect to the incident….