SC: Not stopped SC, HCs from designating lawyers as senior

The Supreme Court on Tuesday said it has not "stopped" itself or any of the high courts from designating lawyers as senior advocates, an issue which has been marred by controversy in the recent past.

A bench comprising Justices Ranjan Gogoi and Navin Sinha said it was only dealing with the application seeking a stay on the practice of designating lawyers as seniors till a norm was evolved for it, as other issues related to the matter would be dealt with by a larger bench as ordered earlier.

"We have not stopped them (high courts and apex court). If high courts want to designate lawyers as senior advocates, they can go ahead. If the Supreme Court want to designate lawyers as seniors, they can do it," the bench said.

The designation of lawyers as senior advocates had come under criticism as a section of lawyers had complained that many deserving candidates were ignored.

Senior advocate Indira Jaising, the petitioner in the case, today told the court that guidelines should be evolved for designating lawyers as senior advocates as the affidavit filed by the secretary general of apex court says that the Supreme Court has no rules on this issue.