The Delhi High Court, sitting in a full‑court session on Thursday evening, approved the designation of 85 advocates as senior advocates. This decision comes after a Supreme Court order to revisit the 2024 selection controversy, which had seen a large number of applications deferred or rejected.

Background and the 2024 Dispute

In November 2024, the Court’s Senior‑Advocate Designation Committee evaluated 302 candidates, granting senior‑advocate status to 70, rejecting 165, and deferring 67. The deferments and rejections were challenged in the Supreme Court, especially after senior advocate Sudhir Nandrajog resigned from the permanent committee, alleging that the final list was prepared without his consent.

Supreme Court Intervention and Re‑examination

On 15 April 2025, the Supreme Court instructed the Delhi High Court to reconsider the deferred and rejected applications under the Delhi High Court Designation of Senior Advocates Rules, 2024. A reconstituted permanent committee was formed, chaired by Chief Justice D.K. Upadhyaya, and comprising Justices V. Kameswar Rao and Nitin Wasudeo Sambre, Additional Solicitor General Chetan Sharma, DHCBA President N. Hariharan, and former ASG‑turned‑senior‑advocate Sanjay Jain.

Revamped Interview Process

Unlike the 2024 group‑based interviews, the 2025 process featured one‑on‑one interviews lasting five to fifteen minutes per advocate, with 10‑20 candidates scheduled each day. Candidates reported that questions ranged from basic legal principles to procedural law queries that required logical analysis. One participant described the new format as “a first, and a welcome change,” noting that it allowed judges to better gauge the individual’s competence.

Notable Designations

Among the newly designated senior advocates are Special Public Prosecutor Amit Prasad (who handled the 2020 Northeast Delhi riots), ED special counsel Zoheb Hossain, former ED counsel Nitesh Rana, and ten women lawyers, including Manali Singhal. These appointments raise the total senior‑advocate count from the 70 designated in 2024 to 155.

Implications for the Legal Profession

Experts argue that the individualized interview model enhances transparency and reduces the risk of bias, signaling a shift toward merit‑based selections. The decision also reinforces confidence in the judiciary’s ability to self‑correct amid public scrutiny, which could set a precedent for future appointments across Indian courts.