"Had No Intention To Cast Aspersions On Lawyers Practising In High Courts" : SCBA Clarifies On Elevation Of Supreme Court Lawyers To HCs

Supreme Court Bar Association has on Sunday clarified that it's letter to CJI for Elevation Of Supreme Court Lawyers to High Courts was intended only to get an equal opportunity for Supreme Court Lawyers to be considered for Elevation to High Courts.

"The words used in the communique was only to stress the point in favour of having a transparent and robust system for consideration of our lawyers" the Press Release reads.

With regards to its statement of Supreme Court lawyers being 'more meritorious' than High Court lawyers, SCBA President Senior Advocate Vikas Singh has clarified that he had no intention to cast any aspersion on Lawyers practising in High Courts. He has stated that the statement was made for limited purpose of their consideration by the High Court collegium on equal footing basis.

According to Singh, every lawyer practising in India is a citizen of India and should be fairly considered for elevation on the basis of merit alone, no matter where they practice.

Further, it has been clarified that SCBA's letter clearly stated that High Court Collegium may consider names provided to them along with lawyers from their respective Bars to choose the most deserving candidate without giving any preferential treatment to either Supreme Court or High Court lawyers.

SCBA had urged before the CJI that inspite of having vast experience and exposure in dealing with all kinds of issues relating to civil, criminal, constitutional, commercial law, etc., the lawyers practicing in the Supreme Court are rarely considered for elevation by the High Court Collegium as they do not regularly practice before the High Court and while being professionally more meritorious than their colleagues at the High Court, loose the opportunity for being considered as such.

Read The Press Release