Over 1,200 lawyers of the Sealdah court on Friday announced a ceasework till 11.30am on Monday over the setting up of an office of the West Bengal State Law Clerk’s Council (WBSLCC) in the court building.

The council was scheduled to inaugurate its office on the sixth floor on Friday in the presence of law minister Rabilal Moitra, advocate-general Balai Ray and mayor Bikash Ranjan Bhattacharyya.

But the lawyers did not allow the programme to be held, jostled with law clerks and restricted entry beyond the fourth floor of the eight-storeyed building.

“The judicial department of the state government had promised us they would turn the Sealdah Police court building into a judicial complex housing various courts and tribunals. The council’s office has nothing to do with judicial activity and we are opposing it,” said Pritwish Ghosh, the president of the bar association of the Sealdah court.

“The space can be used to set up other judicial units like rent control tribunal… Or it could be turned into an enclosure for lawyers, who do not have enough space to sit,” said Nilmadhab Ganguly, the vice-president of the association.

But the members of the law clerk’s association said an office of the council was necessary on the campus for issuing and renewal of licences. The state judicial department will take a decision on the office on Monday after consulting representatives of the lawyers and the law clerks.