Tamil Nadu - Madurai   

Scrap use of ‘My Lord’, says Bar Council

MADURAI: The Bar Council of Tamil Nadu and Puducherry has decided to write to 202 advocates’ associations under its jurisdiction to give up the practice of addressing Madras High Court Judges as ‘My Lord’ and other judicial officers as ‘Your Honour.’

It wants to pursue the matter seriously as the colonial tradition of addressing the judges continues to reverberate in court halls despite the Bar Council of India passing a resolution against the practice in April 2006.

Speaking to The Hindu over phone from Chennai, Bar Council Chairman R.K. Chandramohen said he had written twice to the Bar Associations urging their members to give up such practice. “We shall take up the issue once again.”

An office-bearer of a Bar Association in the Madurai Bench, preferring anonymity, said senior counsel wanted to please judges with such references, thereby forcing the juniors to follow suit. In this context, it was pointed out that Justice Prafulla Kumar Misra of the High Court was often heard in the court hall saying: “Please don’t use ‘My Lord’ for every second word you speak. If you do it, I will dismiss your petition.”

Similarly, Justice D. Murugesan once said: “You can call us Sir which is an equally dignified expression. We (Judges) are not bothered with any kind of reference as long as you do not abuse us.”

Justice K. Chandru also often discourages lawyers against using such terms. “Make your ‘humble submissions’ before God, before me it is enough if you make simple submissions,” he told a lawyer.

Printer friendly page  
Send this article to Friends by E-Mail

Stories in this Section

Water level in reservoirs
“Economic growth alone not enough for nation’s progress”
Teachers plan protest rally
Industrial estate plan lands in trouble
New technique for knee replacement introduced at Madurai hospital
Scrap use of ‘My Lord’, says Bar Council
College teachers plan protest rally
Water release date yet to be decided
Water level
Banks urged to focus on crop insurance
Top priority to water supply
Photographs of loan defaulters can be published
So soft
Madurai today

Copyright © 2008, The Hindu. Republication or redissemination of the contents of this screen are expressly prohibited without the written consent of The Hindu