SC says one mark for each year of practice should be awarded for Sr. Advocate Designation

The Supreme Court on Wednesday said that while assessing applications for senior advocate designations, the High Courts should allocate one mark each for each year of practice from 10 to 20 years, instead of allocating 10 marks flat for the counsel who has put in 10-20 years practice.

A bench of Justices UU Lalit, S Ravindra Bhat and PS Narasimha said, "We clarify the situation and hold that instead of 10 marks to be allocated to a counsel who is put in 10-20 years of practice, marks be allocated commensurate with the standing of the person at the bar, that is to say, one mark each be allocated for every year of practice from 10-20 years."

The clarification of the apex court came on a plea filed by senior advocate Indira Jaising relating to conferring of senior designation to lawyers using "arbitrary and discriminatory" secret voting as a norm by some High Courts.

Jaising submitted that many High Courts follow the practice of granting 10 points for 10-20 years of practice and that she has received feedback from lawyers who have informed her that everyone who had an experience of 10-19 years is getting the same marks.

Jaising suggested that for 10 years of experience, 10 mark can be granted and then every additional year of service may be rewarded with one mark.

( With inputs from ANI )