List for senior tag to advocates fails to find ready approval

Saurabh Malik

Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, May 26

A day after a committee set up by the Punjab and Haryana High Court cleared the names of 27 advocates for designating them as seniors, the list apparently failed to find ready approval by the full court comprising the judges. It is believed that the judges attending the full court not only voted for the names of the 27 shortlisted candidates, but also “ticked” against the names of left out applicants they considered deserving.

In all, 113 advocates had initially applied for the senior tag, but one of the candidates died due to Covid during the pendency of the process. The remaining 112 applications were scanned by the “permanent committee for designation as senior advocates” before the applicants were interviewed. The list of the shortlisted candidates was then placed for discussion before the full court, comprising the Chief Justice and the judges of the High Court.

Available information suggests some of the judges during the meeting expressed their unhappiness with the list. A substantial number of judges was, rather, of the opinion that certain other names were also required to be included.

The judges then resorted to voting upon the names of the shortlisted candidates and also tick-marked the names from the original list of all applicants. It is not clear whether the process of tick-marking is being considered as voting or approval of names by the judges attending the full court meeting for subsequent approval by the committee constituted for the purpose.

Only the names cleared by the full court are designated as senior advocates. The last list was cleared seven years back, when about 13 advocates were designated as seniors. So far the High Court has designated just over 200 advocates as seniors.

A lawyer, with his consent, may be designated as senior advocate if the Supreme Court or a High Court is of that opinion that he is deserving of such distinction by virtue of his ability, standing at the Bar or special knowledge or experience in law. A senior advocate has to follow a separate code of conduct and is not permitted to appear without an advocate-on-record or a junior.

Unhappy with names

• Available information suggests some of the judges during the meeting expressed their unhappiness with the list. A substantial number of judges was, rather, of the opinion that certain other names were also required to be included
• The judges then resorted to voting upon the names of the shortlisted candidates and also tick-marked the names from the original list of all applicants

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