The Supreme Court on Monday said it would not allow senior
advocates to either mention matters for urgent listing or to argue in cases
listed on partial court working days.
The apex court said it was being done to encourage
young lawyers to argue their cases during the partial court working days from
today till July 12.
The summer vacation in the top court has been
rechristened as partial court working days. This year, three to four benches
would be holding court each week during this period.
"No senior advocates will be allowed in my
court," Justice Vikram Nath, who was heading a bench which also comprised
Justice P B Varale, said at the outset.
When a senior advocate tried to mention a matter, Justice Nath
said he would not allow senior lawyers to mention the matter or argue in cases
listed before his bench during the partial court working days.
Justice Nath said he would only permit young lawyers and
advocates-on-record (AoRs) to argue before his bench during this period.
When a senior lawyer requested the bench that he be
allowed to argue the case today as they were not aware of this, Justice Nath
said, "You call the AoR or the instructing counsel. We will hear them but
not the senior advocates." The bench, all the same, stressed that it
would not dismiss any matter in which senior advocates were appearing and would
list them for hearing in July after the top court resumes normal working.
Another apex court bench comprising Justices P S Narasimha and
Aravind Kumar also said that senior advocates would not be allowed to mention
or argue matters during the partial court working days.
"We are allowing it for today only. But from
tomorrow onwards, no senior advocates will be allowed to argue or mention
matters. There is a higher chance of issuance of notice if junior advocates
argue the matters and there is a higher chance of dismissal if senior advocates
argue the case," Justice Narasimha told the lawyers present in the
courtroom.
Similar observations were made by Justice Sanjay
Karol, who was heading another bench comprising Justice A G Masih.