In a significant development, the digital platform Sulekha has approached the Supreme Court to contest a directive from the Madras High Court that mandated the removal of advertisements posted by lawyers. The case, titled Sulekha.com New Media Pvt Ltd v PN Vignesh and ors, has caught attention as it grapples with the intersection of digital advertising and legal regulations.
A bench comprising Justice Hrishikesh Roy and Justice SVN Bhatti took note of the appeal on November 11 and has linked it to a similar case involving JustDial, another service affected by the High Court’s orders. “Issue notice, returnable in four weeks. After service of notice, the matter be tagged,” stated the Supreme Court.
The controversy stems from a July ruling by the Madras High Court which instructed the Bar Council of India (BCI) to create guidelines for state bar councils. These guidelines are aimed at curbing the indirect solicitation of work by lawyers through various forms of advertisements and messages, a practice seen as detrimental to the dignity of the legal profession.
The High Court had also singled out online service providers like Quikr, Sulekha, and JustDial, directing the BCI to take action against these platforms for violating Rule 36 of the Bar Council of India Rules. It ordered the removal of existing lawyer advertisements on these platforms and advised against publishing similar ads in the future.
The directive was based on a petition by PN Vignesh, which highlighted issues with the “branding culture” among lawyers facilitated by these websites. According to the High Court, such practices included unfounded ratings and the commodification of legal services, which contradict the standards set by the BCI.
Responding to these developments, the Supreme Court, while agreeing to hear the matter, denied any interim relief to Sulekha and did not suspend the High Court’s order pending a final decision.
The BCI has not yet submitted its response to the Supreme Court. The next steps in this legal battle will be closely watched, as they could set significant precedents for digital advertising in the legal field. Advocates Ankur Khandelwal, Utkarsh Sharma, and Sahil Siddiqui represented Sulekha in the Supreme Court, emphasizing the critical issues at stake for digital platforms operating in this complex regulatory environment.
