CUTTACK: The 78th foundation day of Orissa High Court was observed here on Saturday. The occasion was marked by a simple ceremony of paying floral tributes at the statue of its first Chief Justice Bira Kishore Ray, whose death anniversary is also on the same day.
Chief Justice Harish Tandon, other judges and among others advocate general Pitambar Acharya and members of the High Court Bar Association including president Manoj Mishra garlanded Justice Ray’s statue on the court premises.
Justice Bira Kishore Ray, the first advocate general of the new Odisha province was the first chief justice of the Orissa High Court from July 26, 1948. He died on July 26, a decade later, on the 10th foundation day of Orissa High Court in 1958. Later, Justice BK Ray memorial committee along with High Court Bar Association held a memorial meeting in the conference hall of the Association. On the occasion Justice Biswanath Rath (Retired), senior advocate Jagannath Patnaik and advocate Pradip Kumar Patnaik were felicitated.
Established with four judges, Orissa High Court now has 19 judges, including the chief justice against a sanctioned strength of 27 judges.