Applications invited for senior counsel designation

The HC permanent committee allowed the process to resume after holding that it, at this stage, does not find any other necessity for bringing about amendments in the existing rules as suggested in the representations.

“The committee was informed that 24 recommendations have been received from judges for designating senior advocates and three recommendations have been made by senior advocates. It is also informed that six applications before the announcement of the rules were pending since the last designations took place in December 2016. Since considerable time has elapsed thereafter, it was considered appropriate to proceed with the process of inviting applications under the existing rules,” the notification said.

However, regarding fixing a minimum age of 45 years for designation as a Senior Advocate as sought by TNSF, the committee held that since there are variations in this regard in the rules in High Courts across the country, it would be appropriate that an interim application is moved before the Apex Court for its consideration, for a uniform pattern to be applied.

Also, the committee on holding that it does not find any necessity at this stage to amend the rules relating to ‘Standing Counsel’, clarified that the present rule does not mean to include either the Advocate General, or the Additional Advocate Generals of the State, or the Additional Solicitor General of India, as they do not file Vakalatnama/ Memo of Appearance.

TNSAF convenor PS Raman had raised a series of objections including the fixation of 45 years as the minimum age for a lawyer to become eligible for the designation. He also pointed out that when the Supreme Court had already given necessary guidelines, it was unnecessary to constitute a permanent committee in the High Court to consider applications for such designation.