SC bars senior advocates from arguing during partial Court working days

The Supreme Court on Monday barred senior advocates from mentioning or arguing cases during partial court working days until July 12. The move aims to provide greater opportunities for young lawyers and advocates-on-record, with affected matters to be heard after regular court functioning resumes

New Delhi: The Supreme Court on Monday said it would not allow senior advocates to either mention matters for urgent listing or to argue in cases listed on partial court working days. The apex court said it was being done to encourage young lawyers to argue their cases during the partial court working days from today till July 12.

The summer vacation in the top court has been rechristened as partial court working days. This year, three to four benches would be holding court each week during this period. “No senior advocates will be allowed in my court,” Justice Vikram Nath, who was heading a bench which /also comprised Justice P B Varale, said at the outset.

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When a senior advocate tried to mention a matter, Justice Nath said he would not allow senior lawyers to mention the matter or argue in cases listed before his bench during the partial court working days.
Justice Nath said he would only permit young lawyers and advocates-on-record (AoRs) to argue before his bench during this period.

When a senior lawyer requested the bench that he be allowed to argue the case today as they were not aware of this, Justice Nath said, “You call the AoR or the instructing counsel. We will hear them but not the senior advocates.” The bench, all the same, stressed that it would not dismiss any matter in which senior advocates were appearing and would list them for hearing in July after the top court resumes normal working.

Another apex court bench comprising Justices P S Narasimha and Aravind Kumar also said that senior advocates would not be allowed to mention or argue matters during the partial court working days.

“We are allowing it for today only. But from tomorrow onwards, no senior advocates will be allowed to argue or mention matters. There is a higher chance of issuance of notice if junior advocates argue the matters and there is a higher chance of dismissal if senior advocates argue the case,” Justice Narasimha told the lawyers present in the courtroom. Similar observations were made by Justice Sanjay Karol, who was heading another bench comprising Justice A G Masih.