Cuttack: Annoyed over the state government`s recommendation for benches of Orissa High Court in western and southern parts, the court`s lawyers here today resolved to fight it `tooth and nail` legally and administratively.
The government move was Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik`s regional appeasement policy, the High Court Bar Association said at its general body meeting which decided to petition the union law minister against the CM`s letter of recommendation for setting up the HC benches.
It also agreed to move a writ petition in the HC challenging the government`s move on the ground that it had ignored the legalities and technicalities governing it.
Condemning the CM`s letter of recommendation to the union law minister, the association said the move was `highly illegal and in-appropriate` as the High Court in several previous judgments had turned down the constitution of more benches.
Moreover, no place in the state was fit to house any permanent bench of the HC as per the Yasobant Singh Committee report, the association said and questioned the recommendation as the judicial commission set up by the government itself was yet to give its report.
The commission is hearing the issue on day-to-day basis in view of the government`s direction to expedite it. But the government has completely ignored the commission making it irrelevant, the association said.
The ongoing boycott of the bar association would continue and other bar associations of the state would be roped in, including all the 14 functioning here, it said.
"We will decide the further course of action after a general body meeting of the bar tomorrow in which the executive members of all other bars of the city would be present," High Court bar association secretary Janmejaya Katakia added.
The lawyers` decision was taken a day after the state government recommended setting up two benches of the high court in western and southern regions.
Earlier, the HC lawyers had strongly objected to the state government`s move on the recommendation.
PTI
