SC, HC judges to be addressed as ''Your Honour''

New Delhi, Apr 19 (UNI) The Bar Council of India vide resolution dated April 8 2006 has decided that the judges of Supreme Court and High Court will be addressed as ''Your Honour'' instead of ''My Lord'' or ''Your Lordship'' as such system of addressing is a hangover of the colonial past.

So far as subordinate court and tribunals are concerned it is open to the lawyers to address the court as ''Sir'' or the equivalent word in respective regional language.

The Bar Coucil of India rule under section 49 (1) (j) is to be circulated to all the state bar councils with the request to circulate the same to all the bar associations in their state and to the courts.

The latter shall also be sent to the Supreme Court bar association, Registrar General of the Supreme Court of India and to the registrars of all the High Courts.

It may be noticed that the full Supreme Court had in 1993 resolved that it is for the Bar Council to decide the form of address to the courts and expressed thanks to the Bar Council of India that it was conscious of its obligations to be respectful and dignified in its attitude towards the bench.

Early this year a bench of the Supreme Court headed by the Chief Justice Y K Sabharwal while dismissing as withdrawn a PIL filed by the progressive and vigilant lawyers forum had also expressed the same view that it was for the lawyers community to decide whether they want to change the system of addressing the court in India and court has nothing to do with it.

UNI AKS/SC ARB HS1654