Acting CJ of Calcutta HC to meet agitating lawyers tomorrow

The acting Chief Justice of Calcutta High Court will hold a meeting tomorrow with the three associations representing lawyers to resolve the situation arising out of the month-long ceasework, which was extended by another fortnight till April two.

The secretaries and presidents of the Bar Association, Bar Library Club and Incorporated Law Society have been invited to the meeting with Acting Chief Justice J Bhattacharya.

"We have been invited to a meeting with the Acting Chief Justice ostensibly to resolve the situation arising out of the ceasework at the high court," Bar Library Club president Jayanta Mitra said.

West Bengal Advocate General Kishore Datta has also been invited to the meeting, which is scheduled at 11 am.

"We will attend the meeting where the Acting Chief Justice is likely to discuss with us the issues over which the ceasework was called and to resolve the current impasse," Incorporated Law Society secretary Paritosh Sinha said.

Work at the high court has remained stalled for over a month from February 19 over the lawyers' associations demanding appointment of judges to the high court, which has a current strength of only 33 out of the sanctioned strength of 72 judges.

The lawyers' bodies yesterday extended the ceasework till April two.

The Bar Association, which commands the allegiance of most of the lawyers practising at the high court, took a majority resolution to continue the agitation demanding a timeframe for appointment of judges.

The other two associations also decided to extend the agitation.