State Of Madhya Pradesh vs Dileep - SC Rules - Senior Designation - AOR

Supreme Court Rules 2013 - Rule 18 of Order IV - Rule 18 incorporates a mandatory provision that a Senior Advocate, so designated, shall not appear as a Senior Advocate till he reports to the Registry that the parties represented by him earlier have been so informed of his designation as a Senior Advocate and that necessary arrangements have been made for the parties to make appearance before the Court in all the cases represented by him till then - This Rule incorporates multiple obligations on an Advocate-on-Record designated as a Senior Advocate. The first obligation is that the Advocate-on-Record has to inform his clients of his designation as a Senior Advocate. The second obligation is to report to the Registry that the parties represented by him in all the cases have been so informed and that necessary arrangements have been made for the parties to make appearance before the Court in all the cases represented by him till them. Thus, an Advocate-on-Record, who is designated as a Senior Advocate, cannot appear in any case as a Senior Advocate unless he submits a report to the Registry of making a compliance with Rule 18 of Order IV of the 2013 Rules - It is the professional duty of the counsel on being designated as a Senior Advocate to intimate that fact to all his clients and request them to make alternative arrangements. This Court in so many words held that it is no part of the duty of the Court to inform the parties- Directions issued: Registrar (Judicial) to submit a report to this Court as to how many Advocates-on-Record who are designated as Senior Advocates on or from 1st January, 2024 till date have complied with the requirements of Rule 18 of Order IV of the 2013 Rules by submitting a report as contemplated by the said Rule. If the Registrar (Judicial) finds that certain Advocates-on- Record who have been designated as Senior Advocates have not submitted a report to the Registry as required by Rule 18 of Order IV, the Registry shall invite attention of the said Advocates-on- Record to the fact that they cannot appear in this Court as Senior Advocates.