In Brief
In this appeal concerning professional conduct standards for advocates-on-record at the Supreme Court, the Court examined serious misconduct in filing a Special Leave Petition seeking premature release. The advocate-on-record filed a petition drafted by another advocate without disclosing material facts—that the appellant had been sentenced to a fixed term of 30 years without remission by the Supreme Court itself. The Court held that advocates-on-record are wholly responsible to the Court when filing documents, must verify all facts stated therein, and cannot merely lend their names to proceedings drafted by others. The Court emphasised that such lax conduct undermines the integrity of the Supreme Court's proceedings and impacts the quality of justice. The Court also flagged serious concerns about the current system of designating senior advocates, suggesting these require reconsideration by a larger bench.
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