Bhubaneswar: The Odisha State Bar Council has asked the lawyers, who are engaged in other activities except pratising law, to surrender their licences within a month.

According to the bar council, some lawyers are engaged in other activities, including business activities and also hold office of profit after getting licences to practise law.

The bar council has asked these non-practising lawyers to surrender their licences within a month, failing which they will invite disciplinary action.

There are allegations that some law graduates are doing jobs in private companies and government entities and also getting engaged in business activities after securing licences to practise law. By doing this, they are violating the norms as prescribed by the Advocates Act, 1961, said the lawyers’ body in a statement today.

The Odisha State Bar Council, in a resolution passed on April 12 this year, has decided to initiate disciplinary action against such non-practising lawyers.

The bar council has asked all bar associations in Odisha to take action against these non-practising lawyers if they fail to surrender their licences within a month.

The bar associations across the state has also been asked to suspend the licences of the violators and initiate criminal proceedings against them.