The Rules Committee of the Bar Council of Odisha has incorporated an amendment to its Rules of 1989 introducing a clause of ‘Vote of No Confidence’ against the chairman, vice-chairman and member representative to the Bar Council of India.
A proposal to this effect was approved by as many as 15 members of the 25-member Council here on Saturday to amend the Rule 2 in Chapter-II of the Orissa State Bar Council Rules-1989 and the same has been sent to the Bar Council of India for endorsement, said a Council member on Sunday.
If the Bar Council of India okays the proposal, then the chairman, the vice-chairman and the member representative could be removed by vote of no confidence by majority. At least 10 members of the Council, through a signed requisition to the secretary of the Council, can seek a special meeting to take up the no confidence motion.
The secretary is required to hold the special meeting within 15 days from getting the requisition by giving seven clear days of notice to the members to attend the same and participate in the voting. The quorum of the special meeting shall be 13 members and it would be presided over by the State Advocate-General (A-G). If the no confidence motion is allowed, then the secretary shall forthwith take steps to convene a meeting of the Council members to hold elections for feeling up the created vacancies.
If the no confidence motion is defeated, no such motion can be moved again within one year from the date of such special meeting.
Senior advocate Manas Ranjan Mohapatra is now the chairman of the Bar Council of Odisha and Debadutta Mishra, an advocate from western Odisha, is the vice-chairman. Devi Prasad Dhal is the member representative to the Bar Council of India. All of them were elected in June 2014 for a term of five years.
