In Brief
Ms. Indira Jaising challenged the system for designating Senior Advocates, seeking objectivity and transparency. The Court's 2017 judgment established a Permanent Committee with point-based criteria. This 2023 judgment fine-tunes those guidelines without overturning their core. Key changes: secret ballot voting should be rare, not routine; publication marks cut to 5 points but expanded to include teaching; judgments and domain expertise category increased by 10 points; interviews retained at 25 points; designation exercises must occur at least annually; diversity and tribunal specialists receive explicit consideration. Pending applications may be reprocessed under revised norms. The Court emphasizes that designation remains an honour, not a right, with ultimate objective of improving legal assistance to courts and litigants.
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