Atleast henceforth lawyers may doneaway with 'milords'...

Times of India-20.4.2006.

NEW DELHI: Their Lordships will henceforth just be their Honours. 'My Lord' and 'Your Lordship', the two phrases used since the British Raj by

lawyers to address judges of the Supreme Court and high courts, have just been confined to history by the Bar Council of India.

In a recent resolution amending the rules, BCI replaced the two most important phrases with 'Your Honour' and 'Honourable Court' saying that words 'My Lord' and 'Your Lordship' are "relics of the colonial past" which need to be weeded out.

In the lower courts, lawyers can address the presiding officers as 'Sir' or the equivalent word in the respective regional languages.

"I welcome it," said Chief Justice of India Y K Sabharwal, who, while heading a bench had recently dismissed a petition filed by a lawyers’ body seeking identical change in the address system.

The CJI had asked the lawyers to approach BCI and build a consensus among advocates for the new system of address, assuring them the court had no problem with it as long as it is dignified.

Will the lawyers, so used to uttering 'Milord' and 'Your Lordship' during their arguments, adopt the new system?

Solicitor General G E Vahanvati said the prevailing system was just fine, reflecting the dignity due to the court and judges.

Supreme Court Bar Association president P H Parekh said amendment of the rules by BCI does not make it mandatory for lawyers to follow the new system of address.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

I wrote about this in my blog on 29.5.2008.

Thursday, May 29, 2008
How to address Hon'ble Judges of High Courts and Subordinate Courts?
The Bar Council of India long back resolved to done away with the practice of addressing judges as 'My Lords' in high courts and 'your honour' in subordinate courts. Instead the Bar Council of India asked it's members to address the Honble High Court Judges with "your honour" or "honourable court" and subordinate court judges either as 'Sir' or it's regional equivalent as 'Mr Judge'. But even after more then two years passed since the resolution by the Bar Council of India passed the lawyers are in no mood to follow the procedure insisted by their governing body. Even most of the lawyers in the country may not know the resolution passed by their governing body. The Bar Council of India should take steps to send the copy of the resolution to each and every advocates' associations in India to implement the above procedure. It is pity even after sixty years of independence from the 'British Raj' we, the lawyers, are unable to shirk the colonial imprints left by them.
Posted by V.S.Kesavan, Lead Partner, The VSK Law Firm and High Court Advocate. at 1:13 PM 0 comments
Labels: How to address Hon'ble Judges of High Courts and Subordinate Courts?

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Atleast henceforth lawyers may follow BCI's recommendations:

Times of India:15.3.09

CHENNAI: A day after the Madras high court instructed all courts and judges in Tamil Nadu to decide on cases on merit, even if advocates did not

appear for arguments, the agitating lawyers
have decided to withdraw from cases filed by them on behalf of their clients.

Their decision means that all 'vakalatnamas' (authorisations by clients appointing the lawyers) will be withdrawn, and that courts will have to directly deal with the parties in connection with the cases.

The decision was taken at a meeting of the joint action committee, presided over by RC Paul Kanagaraj, its convenor and president of the Madras High Court Advocates Association, on Saturday.

The meet resolved to indefinitely continue the boycott, and confirmed that a state-level rally of advocates would be held here on March 19.

Perhaps turning their ire on judges, the committee resolved that henceforth advocates would not address judges as 'My Lord'. Citing a Bar Council of India decision, the meet said they would address the presiding officers of courts as either 'Mr Judge' or 'Sir'.