Supreme Court Issues New Guidelines for Designation of Senior Advocates

• 21 Jul 2023

On 18^th July, 2023, the Supreme Court issued new guidelines for the designation of senior advocates practicing primarily in the Apex Court. These guidelines replace the ones issued in 2018, following the 2017 ruling in Indira Jaisingh v. Union of India.

Key Points:

• Trigger for New Guidelines: The need for new guidelines arose after a May 12 ruling by a three-judge bench led by Justice S K Kaul, responding to a case seeking modifications in the conferment of 'senior advocate' designation.
• Minimum Age Requirement: Under the new guidelines, the minimum age for applying for the 'senior advocate' designation is set at 45 years.
• Relaxation of Age Limit: However, this age limit can be relaxed by the Committee, Chief Justice of India, or a Supreme Court judge if they recommend an advocate's name.
• Changes in Weightage: The weightage for publications has been reduced from 15 marks to 5 marks, aligning with the May 12 SC ruling.
• Increased Weightage: Additionally, the importance given to reported and unreported judgments (excluding non-principle-setting orders) has increased from 40 to 50 points.
• Committee's Role: The Permanent Committee and the Full Court retain the authority to make the final decision on designating advocates as senior based on the prescribed guidelines.