A legal challenge has been initiated against the Delhi High Court’s recent decision to confer senior designations on 70 lawyers. A petition, now before the Supreme Court, questions the legitimacy of the selection process which has sparked considerable controversy.
The plea was brought to the attention of Chief Justice of India, Sanjiv Khanna, who declined to permit oral mentioning for urgent listing. Instead, the Chief Justice instructed the petitioners to submit a formal request through proper channels. “Please circulate a letter seeking listing. There is no oral mentioning,” remarked Justice Khanna during the proceedings.
On November 29, the Delhi High Court, led by its Full Court, awarded the title of Senior Advocate to 70 out of 302 interviewed candidates. This selection, however, has been overshadowed by internal dissent and procedural disagreements. Notably, a member of the court’s Permanent Committee, which plays a crucial role in the designation process, resigned following the announcement. The resignation was prompted by claims that the final list of designated Senior Advocates was unauthorized and did not have his consent.
The Permanent Committee, responsible for the initial selection, includes Chief Justice Manmohan, Justices Vibhu Bakhru and Yashwant Varma, Additional Solicitor General Chetan Sharma, and Senior Advocates Mohit Mathur and Sudhir Nandrajog. According to insider reports, Nandrajog, who also represents the Delhi government, did not endorse the final list. His absence during the critical finalization phase—due to his involvement in a two-day arbitration—led to further complications, with allegations that the list was tampered with.
