The Supreme Court on Thursday has invited applications from Advocates and Advocates-on-Record as well as Former Chief Justices and Judges of High Courts for designation as Senior Advocates in terms of the 2023 guidelines available on the top court website.
According to the notification of March 14, Advocates and Advocates-on-Record whose cases have been deferred may apply afresh online, irrespective of the 1-year restriction period stipulated in the guidelines.
Furthermore, Advocates and Advocates-on-Record whose cases have not been favorably considered shall be eligible to apply after expiry of 1 year, instead of 2 years. Notably, the applications can be made online at the URL which will remain open till midnight of April 5, 2024.
In addition, the applicants can also click on the Senior Advocates Designation Application tab available on the Court’s official website (old and new). Besides, a print-out of the application along with enclosures submitted online, a pen-drive containing publication work and a colored photograph may be submitted in the Secretariat of the Committee (Room No. 307, 3rd Floor, B-Block, Additional Building Complex, Supreme Court Building) by 04:30 PM on April 10, 2024.
The notification annexes a format for Former Chief Justices and Judges of High Courts to submit requests for Senior Designation.
Earlier in January, the Supreme Court conferred the designation of Senior Advocates on 56 lawyers, following a thorough selection process that focused on including an unprecedented number of women and first-generation lawyers.
Among the 56 lawyers, 11 were women and 34 were first generation lawyers, chosen for the designation by the committee for designation of senior advocates, headed by Chief Justice of India D Y Chandrachud.
The other members of the committee included two senior-most judges Justice Sanjiv Khanna and Justice Bhushan R Gavai, Attorney General R Venkataramani and Senior Advocate Kiran Suri, a nominated member of the Bar.