Calcutta HC requests panel not to recommend new names for designation as senior advocates

Calcutta High Court has "very strongly requested" the committee for designation of senior advocates not to recommend any new name till disposal of a petition challenging its provisions.

The committee comprises the Chief Justice of the high court, two senior-most judges, the state Advocate General and an eminent lawyer chosen by them.

"The committee for designation of senior advocates is very strongly requested by this court not to take any further steps in making any further recommendation of names for designation as senior advocates," a bench comprising justices I P Mukerji and Amrita Sinha said Wednesday while passing an interim order on a petition.

Concluding the oral hearing in the petition, the bench directed that written submissions, if any, may be filed by the parties by January 21.

On a petition by an advocate, the division bench directed the registry/secretariat of the court not to take any step for placing three names, recommended by the committee for being designated as senior advocates, with the Acting Chief Justice for obtaining approval in a Full Court.

The Calcutta High Court is currently headed by an Acting Chief Justice.

The division bench said the panel ought not to have made recommendations for designation of senior advocate status to lawyers during pendancy of the petition.

Stating that it had not passed any interim order during the hearing of the petition, the bench said, "We only observed that our Committee for Designation of Senior Advocates comprised very senior judges and they knew what to do in the circumstances, when serious questions regarding recommendation of names for appointment of senior advocates were subjudice."