The Orissa High Court Bar Association has resolved to abstain from the Court of Chief Justice KS Jhaveri and two other Collegium judges till June 26.
The Bar has resorted to this step in protest of the Collegium’s recommendation of lawyers who are not regular practitioners before the High Court, for elevation as High Court judges.
A resolution to this effect was passed yesterday.
This resolution was in continuation of the resolution passed a month ago, on May 16. On this date, the Bar had resolved to abstain from the Court of Collegium judges on June 17.
As per the May 16 resolution, a committee constituted by the Bar had met the Chief Justice. The Chief Justice had told the delegation that he had recommended the names of those lawyers who were approved by the other two judges of the Collegium.
It was further informed by the Chief Justice that the said recommended lawyers had appeared before him during the last six months, and were members of the High Court Bar Association. They had adequate cases in the Orissa High Court and considerable income as required by law, the Chief Justice had stated.
The resolution passed on May 16 states that the meeting with the Chief Justice confirmed that the High Court Collegium had recommended names of certain lawyers who were not regular practitioners of the Orissa High Court.
In view of the same, the Bar Association had decided to wear black bands to court on May 17. Further, it also resolved to boycott the Court of the Chief Justice and Collegium judges on June 17.
Yesterday, the General Body of the Bar Association met and decided to extend the boycott of the courts of Collegium judges till June 26.
In the meantime, a delegation of the Bar Association will meet Chief Justice of India Ranjan Gogoi along with Collegium judges of the Supreme Court and the Union Law Minister at New Delhi.
The next meeting of the General Body will take place on June 26.
[Read Resolution]