In a significant move, the Delhi High Court has designated 70 lawyers as Senior Advocates, marking the first such designations since March 2021. The announcement was made today by the High Court’s Secretariat of the Committee for Designation of Senior Advocates, following a rigorous evaluation process involving 302 applicants.
The designation of Senior Advocates is a prestigious honor, recognizing legal practitioners for their expertise and contributions to the legal field. In contrast to the 55 lawyers honored in 2021, this year’s larger group reflects the High Court’s comprehensive review under the newly amended rules.
The selection process this year was governed by the High Court of Delhi Designation of Senior Advocate Rules, 2024, which introduced significant changes to the procedure. A Permanent Committee, comprising Chief Justice Manmohan, Justices Vibhu Bakhru and Yashwant Varma, Additional Solicitor General Chetan Sharma, and Senior Advocates Mohit Mathur and Sudhir Nandrajog, was tasked with the designation responsibilities.
However, the process was not without controversy. Tensions arose when Sudhir Nandrajog, a representative of the Delhi government and a member of the Permanent Committee, abstained from signing the final list that was circulated to the full court for deliberation. Sources indicate that Nandrajog was unavailable due to his commitments in an arbitration session spanning two days, raising concerns about the transparency and consensus of the final list. Allegations have surfaced suggesting that the original list had been tampered with, leading to further scrutiny and debate within the legal community.
