Download pdf - Indira Jaising Letter to CJI

8/9/2019 Indira Jaising Letter to CJI

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Dated: 29/04/2015

To,Chief Justice of India and all otherCompanion ud!es of the "ull Courtof the #on$%le &upreme Court

Dear Chief Justice and other Jud!es of the "ull court,

I 'rite to (ou on a matter of !reat concern to the )ar in India

*ou ha+e on 2-04-2015 desi!nated fi+e persons as &enior .d+ocates of

this Court-

The pro+isions of &ec 1 the .d+ocates .ct of 191 read as:

16. Senior and other advocates.—(1) There shall be two classes of advocates, namely, senior advocates and other advocates.

(2) An advocate may, with his consent, be designated as senior advocate if the S!reme "ort or a #igh "ort is of o!inion that by virte of his ability standing at the $ar or s!ecial %nowledge or e&!erience in law he is deserving of sch distinction.

(') Senior advocates shall, in the matter of their !ractice, be sbect to

sch restrictions as the $ar "oncil of ndia may, in the interest of the legal !rofession, !rescribe.

(*) +++ot relevant+..

The underlined portion in &u% &ec 2 'as added %( the

.mendment .ct of 19

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.s I see it, the purpose of desi!nation is to further the administration of

ustice %( impro+in! the 3ualit( of ar!umentation at the %ar in terms of

inputs from seniors 'ith eperience and or epertise in special %ranches

of la'- That apart, seniors are epected to present the case

dispassionatel( %efore the Court rather than ad+ance an( unsustaina%le

point of +ie'- .ll this is in pu%lic interest and the act of desi!nation is not

meant to %e a lar!ess !i+en %( the Jud!es for indi+idual ad+ancement of

a particular la'(er-

The desi!nation is not the pri+ile!e of those 'ho handle re!ular criminal

or ci+il &6s on 7onda(s and "rida(s runnin! from court to court- There

seems to %e an un'ritten %ias a!ainst la'(ers 'ho do 6I in

8n+ironmental la' or #uman i!hts la' cases and those 'ho ha+e

domain epertise in the specialied su%ects such as International

.r%itration, Inter &tate ;ater Disputes, C(%er la', etc-


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the candidate for desi!nation- )ut, it appears, the con+ention has %een

departed from in the recent desi!nations and in its place, a s(stem of

secret %allot has %een reportedl( introduced- ;hile the %allot ma( ha+e

the merit of !i+in! all Jud!es a chance of participation in the decision

ma=in!, there is no !uarantee that a +ote reflects that the person has

merit- Indeed the s(stem of +otin! has the disad+anta!e of encoura!in!

unhealth( and non transparent lo%%(in! for desi!nation-

This is e+ident from the current desi!nation- >ut of 14 candidates 'ho

had recommendations from not less than fi+e Jud!es, onl( fi+e ha+e %een

selected for desi!nation 'ith nothin! to indicate 'h( the others 'ere not

desi!nated- 8ach of the fi+e .d+ocates is a !eneral practitioner-

.d+ocates 'ith 6I %ac=!round and domain epertise ha+e %een totall(

left out-

The impression has lon! %ein! !ro'in! at the )ar that onl( relati+es of

seniors of those 'ho come from particular cham%ers !et desi!nated-

;hat is 'orse, there seems to %e an im%alance %et'een caste and

communities and I can onl( hope that this is not conscious as that 'ould

!o a!ainst the ethos of the Constitution %( 'hich 'e are all !o+erned-

I 'ould place for consideration of the #on$%le Chief Justice and #on$%le

Jud!es that a &earch Committee of ud!es %e constituted to identif( those

la'(ers doin! 6I 'or= in 8n+ironmental la' or #uman i!hts and those

la'(ers ha+in! domain epertise for conferrin! desi!nation as &enior

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.d+ocates- This #on$%le Court has po'ers coupled 'ith dut( to de+elop

a )ar 'hich represents all %ranches of la'- It 'ould %e ad+isa%le to issue

ules under .rticle 145a specif(in! the criteria and the procedure for

%ein! desi!nated as &enior .d+ocates of the Court-

&pea=in! for m(self I ha+e no +ested interest in the issue, ha+in! %een

desi!nated 'a( %ac= in 19? %( m( o'n #i!h Court and I am ustl( proud

of the fact that I 'as indeed the first 'omen to %e desi!nated %( the #i!h

Court of )om%a(- #o'e+er, I do consider it m( dut( to ma=e su!!estions

for (our consideration for the impro+ement of the 3ualit( of representin! at

the %ar and hence this letter-

I do hope that this letter 'ill %e ta=en in the spirit in 'hich it is 'ritten

rather than %ein! seen as an ad+ersarial approach to the pro%lem-

*ours faithfull(,

Indira Jaisin!

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Dated: 29/04/2015To,Chief Justice of India and all otherCompanion ud!es of the "ull Courtof the #on$%le &upreme Court

Dear Chief Justice and Jud!es of the "ull court,

etter dated 2?/04/2015 sent %( me ha+e some t(po!raphical error-@indl( i!nore the same and find enclosed here'ith the final one for (our information and record-

*ours faithfull(

Indira Jaisin!

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Dated: 29/04/2015

&h- "ali &- Aariman,&enior .d+ocate&upreme Court of IndiaAe' Delhi-

Dear &ir,

I am enclosin! here'ith a letter dated 29/04/2015 addressed

to all Jud!es of the #on$%le &upreme Court of India for (our

reference-

I ur!e (ou to ta=e up this issue at e+er( appropriate forumincludin! )ar .ssociations and )ar Councils and 'ith Jud!es atseminars and conferences on the su%ect so that the ud!es %ecomea'are of the !rie+ances of the )ar 'ith )ar .ssociations-

*ours faithfull(,

Indira Jaisin!

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Dated: 29/04/2015

7r- 7ohan 6arasaran,"ormer &olicitor Beneral of India&upreme Court of IndiaAe' Delhi

Dear 7r-6arasaran,



reference-


*ours faithfull(,

Indira Jaisin!

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Dated: 29/04/2015

&h- 6-6- ao,&enior .d+ocate&upreme Court of IndiaAe' Delhi-

Dear &ir,



reference-


*ours faithfull(,

Indira Jaisin!

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Dated: 29/04/2015

7r- Dush(ant .- Da+e,&enior .d+ocate&upreme Court of IndiaAe' Delhi-

Dear 7r- Da+e,



reference-


*ours faithfull(,

Indira Jaisin!

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Dated: 29/04/2015

7r- #arish &al+e,&enior .d+ocate&upreme Court of IndiaAe' Delhi-

Dear 7r- &al+e,



reference-

I ur!e (ou to ta=e up this issue at e+er( appropriate forumincludin! )ar .ssociations and )ar Councils and 'ith Jud!es atseminars and conferences on the su%ect so that the ud!es %ecome

a'are of the !rie+ances of the )ar 'ith )ar .ssociations-

*ours faithfull(,

Indira Jaisin!

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Dated: 29/04/2015

7r- 7u=ul ohat!i, .ttorne( Beneral of India&upreme Court of IndiaAe' Delhi-

Dear 7r- ohat!i,



reference-


*ours faithfull(,

Indira Jaisin!

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Dated: 29/04/2015

The &ecretar(,

.> .ssociation

&upreme Court of India

Ae' Delhi

Dear &ir,



reference-


*ours faithfull(,

Indira Jaisin!

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Dated: 29/04/2015

The 6resident,

)ar Council of India

Ae' Delhi

Dear &ir,



reference-


*ours faithfull(,

Indira Jaisin!

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Dated: 29/04/2015

7r- 7urli )handare,

&enior .d+ocate

&upreme Court of India

Ae' Delhi-

Dear 7r- )handare,



reference-


*ours faithfull(,

Indira Jaisin!

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