New Delhi, Feb 11 (UNI) The Supreme Court on Wednesday notified the “Guidelines for Designation of Senior Advocates by the Supreme Court of India, 2026,” replacing the earlier 2023 guidelines.
The new guidelines were approved at a Full Court meeting held on February 10, 2026, under the chairmanship of the Chief Justice of India.
Under the 2026 Guidelines, all matters relating to the designation of Senior Advocates will be handled by a Permanent Committee to be known as the “Committee for Designation of Senior Advocates.” The Committee will comprise the Chief Justice of India and the two seniormost judges of the Supreme Court.
As per the eligibility criteria, an applicant must have a minimum standing of 10 years as an Advocate, or 10 years’ combined standing as an Advocate and as a District and Sessions Judge or member of a tribunal.
The candidate must primarily practise in the Supreme Court. However, applicants possessing domain expertise and practising before specialised tribunals may be granted relaxation regarding appearance before the apex court.
The applicant must have attained 45 years of age, unless the Full Court relaxes the age requirement. Further, an applicant whose request for designation has been rejected by the Supreme Court or any High Court within the preceding two years will not be eligible to apply.
The Secretariat will issue a notice inviting applications on the official website of the Supreme Court. Intimations will also be sent to the Supreme Court Bar Association and the Supreme Court Advocates-on-Record Association. Applicants will be given a minimum of 21 days to submit their applications online.
The Guidelines stipulate that decisions on designation will be taken by consensus. In the absence of consensus, the matter will be decided by majority view.
Former Chief Justices and Judges of High Courts may submit letters of request for designation. However, those holding any full-time assignment will not be considered during the tenure of such assignment.
The Full Court also retains the power to designate a deserving Advocate suo motu, without an application, subject to the advocate’s consent.
