In a recent decision, the Supreme Court has opted not to entertain a petition that contested the senior designations awarded by the Delhi High Court to 70 lawyers. On Friday, Justices BR Gavai and AG Masih allowed the petitioner to withdraw the case amidst allegations that some of the designated advocates had connections to sitting High Court judges.
The senior designations were awarded on November 29, 2024, after a comprehensive evaluation process involving interviews with 302 lawyers. However, the validity of the selections was soon under scrutiny when a controversy erupted due to a resignation within the Permanent Committee overseeing the designations. One of the committee members resigned, claiming that the final list was finalized without his agreement.
The Permanent Committee, responsible for the senior advocate designations, comprises Chief Justice Manmohan, Justice Vibhu Bakhru, Justice Yashwant Varma, Additional Solicitor General Chetan Sharma, and Senior Advocates Mohit Mathur and Sudhir Nandrajog. Sources indicate that Nandrajog, who also represents the Delhi government, did not endorse the final list because he was preoccupied with an arbitration session during the critical period. Allegations surfaced suggesting that the list circulated among the full court for final approval had been altered from the original.
