Orissa HC lawyers call off three-week long agitation

The lawyers of Orissa High Court today decided to call off their three-week long agitation and resolved to resume court work from tomorrow, High Court Bar Association secretary Satyabrata Mohanty said.
The decision was taken after a delegate of lawyers met Chief Justice Vineet Saran and held discussions with him on huge vacant positions of judges in the high court and initiate measures to fill up the vacancies as soon as possible.
"The Chief Justice was kind enough to acknowledge our concerns and assured us that within a month he would take appropriate measures to initiate the process for appointment of judges in the high court," Mohanty said.

He said the general body of the Bar has passed a unanimous resolution to suspend the ongoing cease-work and relay hunger strike in view of the assurance of the chief justice and resume court work from tomorrow.
The lawyers had boycotted courts since February 12 and were on relay hunger strike from February 19 in support of their demand.
More than 40 percent of the posts of judges are now vacant in the HC and there have been no appointments there since May 2015.