'We Don't Want To Give Special Priority To Seniors & Deprive Juniors Of Opportunities' : CJI Ramana On Mentioning System

The Chief Justice of India NV Ramana on Wednesday said that the system of making mentioning before the Mentioning Registrar for urgent listing of cases has been made to ensure parity between Senor Advocates and Junior Advocates.

"We don't want to give any special priority to seniors, and deprive juniors of their opportunities. So this system was made, where all can make the mention before the mentioning registrar", CJI Ramana said.

The CJI made these remarks when Advocate Prashant Bhushan raised grievances about the mentioning system.  "Even after urgent memos are filed, matters are languishing", Bhushan said.

The CJI replied that the system of moving memos before the Mentioning Registrar will bring more parity between advocates. After assuming charge as the Chief Justice of India, CJI Ramana discontinued the practice of allowing lawyers to make direct oral mentioning of cases before him for urgent listing. Instead, application has to be moved before the concerned Registrar seeking urgent listing of the cases.

"First you go to the mentioning registrar, and if it is rejected, you come here. This ensures no one gets special priority", CJI told Bhushan.

Bhushan replied that the problem was that the cases don't get listed even after the Registrar has said that he has allowed the urgent listing.

"The problem is ...Registrar does not reject it. He says he has okayed it but the matter does not get listed", Bhushan said.

The CJI then asked Bhushan to bring to his notice such specific cases.