In a significant legal development, the Supreme Court has issued a directive to the Delhi High Court, seeking its explanation regarding the recent appointment of 70 lawyers to senior status. The query arose following a petition that challenged the legitimacy of the High Court’s selection process.
On February 17, 2025, Justice Abhay S. Oka and Justice Ujjal Bhuyan of the Supreme Court mandated the Registrar General of the Delhi High Court to submit the report of the Permanent Committee responsible for the initial shortlisting of candidates. This report is typically reviewed by the full court before final designations are confirmed. The justices stated, “Issue notice for the time being to the first respondent i.e., Registrar General of the High Court of Delhi, returnable on February 24, 2025. We direct the Registrar General to produce a copy of the report of the Permanent Committee in a sealed cover.”
The controversy centers on the decision made on November 29, 2024, by the full court of the Delhi High Court, which conferred the title of ‘Senior Advocate’ on 70 out of 302 interviewed candidates. This decision has been contested by Advocate Raman Gandhi, who is seeking to annul the designations.
Further complicating the issue is the resignation of a member of the Permanent Committee, who protested that the final list of designated senior lawyers was compiled without his consent. The committee, composed of several high-profile legal figures including Chief Justice Vibhu Bakhru, Justice Yashwant Varma, and others, has been accused of procedural discrepancies.
Notably, the Supreme Court also requested a response from Senior Advocate Sudhir Nandrajog, who allegedly did not sign off on the final list due to his engagements in arbitration during the period of decision-making. Rumors suggest that the list might have been tampered with, deviating from the committee’s original decisions.
