Senior lawyers can’t mention cases for urgent hearing in my court from August 11: CJI Gavai

Chief Justice of India BR Gavai on Wednesday said that from next Monday no senior advocate will be allowed to mention cases for urgent listing and hearing in his court as he intended to give juniors an opportunity for better exposure.

Sworn in on May 14, CJI Gavai had reverted to the practice of oral mentioning of cases for urgent listing/hearing by lawyers and discontinued the practice adopted by his predecessor Justice Sanjiv Khanna.

Justice Khanna had discontinued the practice of oral mentioning of cases by lawyers and asked them to either send emails or written letters instead.

“There is a great demand that no matters should be mentioned by senior counsel,” CJI Gavai said after senior counsel AM Singhvi tried to mention a matter.

He asked the court staff to put out a notice that no senior lawyer will be permitted to mention cases for urgent listing and hearing in his court from Monday.

“From Monday, no senior counsel, I mean designated senior counsel, will be allowed to mention matters. Let juniors get an opportunity to do it,” the CJI said.

Singhvi said he has no problem so long as it applied to all senior lawyers.

“This will be practised at least in my court,” the CJI said, adding that it is up to other judges to follow it.

It has been a long-held practice for lawyers to mention their cases before the CJI-led Bench at the outset of the day’s proceedings for urgent out-of-turn listings and hearing of cases.