SCBA Search Committee Identifies 48 Supreme Court Lawyers For Consideration To Be Elevated As High Court Judges

The search committee constituted by the Supreme Court Bar Association for identifying deserving and meritorious Supreme Court practitioners for being considered for elevation as High Court judges has shortlisted 48 names.There were 69 names for the consideration of the Committee. After an initial scrutiny of the eligible candidates, the Committee had detailed discussions to finalise the names. On its final meeting on August 9, the Committee unanimously agreed upon 48 names. The list has been placed before the Chief Justice of India in a sealed cover.The members of the committee are Senior Advocate Vikas Singh, President of SCBA, Senior Advocate Pradeep Rai, Vice President of SCBA, Senior Advocate Mahalaxmi Pavani, Sr Executive Member SCBA, Senior Advocates Rakesh Dwivedi, Shekhar Naphade, Vijay Hansaria and V Giri. Controversy over SCBA demandYesterday, while speaking at the farewell function of Justice Nariman, SCBA President Vikas Singh had mentioned that the proposal to elevate Supreme Court lawyers as High Court judges was a "vexed issue".Senior Counsel Vikas Singh's statement has come after Supreme Court Bar Association had on 8th June through a Press Note claimed that the CJI has agreed to consider its request to consider elevating Supreme Court lawyers as High Court judges.Later, the Executive Committee of SCBA had constituted a "Search Committee" to facilitate the process of elevation by identifying deserving and meritorious Supreme Court practitioners. It may be noted that the proposal made by the Supreme Court Bar Association for elevation of Supreme Court lawyers received opposition from various High Court Bar Associations, including the Delhi High Court Bar Association, Calcutta High Court Bar Association, etc. Taking exception to the SCBA statement that Supreme Court lawyers are "more meritorious" than their counter-parts at High Courts, various High Court Advocates Associations wrote to the CJI. They also opposed the SCBA move of constituting a search committee by saying that the it was the sole prerogative of the High Court collegiums to consider names for elevations to the respective High Courts.The opposition was followed by a clarification from the SCBA that their letter to the CJI was intended only to secure an equal opportunity for Supreme Court lawyers and not to demean the High Court practitioners.

SCBA Search Committee Identifies 48 Supreme Court Lawyers For Consideration To Be Elevated As High Court Judges

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