Avoid honorifics such as ‘My Lord’, Karnataka HC judge urges advocates

Encouraging advocates to discontinue the colonial apply of addressing judges of the upper courts as “My Lord” or “Your Lordship”, Justice P. Krishna Bhat of the High Court of Karnataka on Friday urged them to make use of phrases like “Sir”, calling it extra applicable within the Indian circumstance.

The advocates have been shocked to learn the instruction printed on the each day trigger listing of Justice Bhat’s courtroom corridor for Friday. It was additionally put up on the courtroom corridor’s discover board.

“Learned counsel are requested to avoid addressing the court with such excessive honorifics as ‘My Lord’ or ‘Your Lordship’, but are requested to adhere to a practice consistent with the dignity and decorum of the court, which is more appropriate in the Indian circumstance, like ‘Sir’,” the observe acknowledged.

While commencing the listening to of instances on the day, Justice Bhat orally instructed the advocates that the observe was geared toward guaranteeing a extra modern method of addressing the judges.

BCI’s dilemma

The use of phrases such as “My Lords” or “Your Lordship” is debated usually within the authorized fraternity, and in early 2000 the Karnataka State Bar Council (KSBC) had handed a decision that there was no want for legal professionals to make use of such phrases.

In 2006, the Bar Council of India (BCI) handed a decision exercising its energy beneath Section 49 of the Advocates Act, 1961, stating that “My Lords” and “Your Lordship” have been “relics of the colonial past”. It requested advocates to make use of “Your Honour” or “Honourable Court” within the Supreme Court and the High Courts. For different courts and tribunals, the BCI mentioned that the advocates may use “Sir” or the equal phrases in native languages.

Y.R. Sadashiva Reddy, senior counsel and co-chairman of the BCI, mentioned Justice Bhat’s observe exhibited his humility and served as an encouragement for legal professionals to vary and be sensible.

The BCI had, in 2019, once more allowed the usage of “My Lords” and “Your Lordship” in larger judiciary following complaints about disrespect proven whereas addressing judges.

Mr. Reddy mentioned that senior advocates ought to lead the younger ones by discontinuing the usage of these phrases and and college students in legislation faculties must be taught towards the usage of colonial phrases. Since 2006, there have been situations of some judges of the apex courtroom and the High Courts requesting advocates to not use colonial phrases.