Supreme Court Vacation Bench Refuses To Hear Senior Advocates; Says Juniors Should Be Given Opportunities During Vacation

While making it extremely clear that senior counsels won’t be permitted to mention or argue cases, the Supreme Court refused to hear as many as four senior counsels today. Mentioning a matter, Senior Advocate Abhishek Singhvi appeared before a Bench of Justices Vikram Nath and Ahsanuddin Amanullah. On seeing the senior advocate, the Bench remarked, “Mr Singhvi, you are mentioning before a vacation bench. We won't hear a senior counsel. Pls, ask your Advocate on Record to mention”. Singhvi accepted the comment, smiling. The second incident happened shortly after. Senior Advocate Anjana Prakash became the next person who was asked by Justice Nath not to appear before a vacation bench and rather, give opportunity to junior counsels to better their skill. "What are you doing here, in vacation? We won't hear you. We will hear the counsel next to you”, the Bench said. The Court proceeded to hear cases once the mentioning was over. When a bail matter was called up, Senior Advocate Siddarth Dave appeared to argue the matter. The Bench repeated itself. “Other senior counsels have been arguing in this court. I had argued a matter in this very court [Court No. 6]”, Dave said. “Not before this Bench! We cannot hear senior counsels”, the Bench made it clear. Dave’s instructing counsel then argued the matter and the Bench issued notice in the case. After a bit, former Justice and Senior Advocate Dama Seshadri Naidu appeared when another matter was called out. “The AOR is abroad”, Seshadri said. But the Bench was firm in its view due to which another counsel argued the plea. While hearing a plea filed by Suneetha Nareddy, challenging the anticipatory bail granted to Kadapa MP YS Avinash Reddy, who is accused of murdering Nareddy's father, Vivekananda Reddy, Nereddy, herself, appeared to argue the matter as senior counsels are not allowed to appear before court. The Bench, however, allowed Senior Advocate Sidharth Luthra to assist the petitioner. Once Luthra started arguing the matter, the Bench even said, “You will put us in trouble for discriminating, Mr. Luthra! You cannot argue, you may only assist.” Earlier, in May, once the Supreme Court vacation started, a Bench of Justices JK Maheshwari and Sanjay Karol refused to permit Senior Advocate Mukul Rohatgi to mention a matter before it stating that as per vacation bench norms, only instructing counsel should make mentionings.

Supreme Court Vacation Bench Refuses To Hear Senior Advocates; Says Juniors Should Be Given Opportunities During Vacation

Rintu Mariam Biju

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