PRAYAGRAJ, July 20 -- Taking a serious note of lawyers with criminal antecedents, the Allahabad high court has directed that all criminal cases registered against advocates across the state be transferred from the district where they practice to a geographically proximate, but professionally insulated transferee district.

"The transferee district shall be at a distance of not more than 100 km from the home district of the advocate. This distance ensures that the advocate's professional network and personal influence do not extend materially to the transferee district," the court said.

"While carving out the principle of 100 km, it has been kept in mind that the advocates involved, as well as the witnesses in criminal cases, should not f...