Advocate Anurag Rawal, a partner at Atharva Law Chambers, has filed a Special Leave Petition (SLP) challenging specific aspects of the Delhi High Court's judgment dated March 19, 2024. This judgment approved recommendations from a committee regarding conditions for the upcoming bar elections in Delhi.
The SLP, filed by Advocate on Record (AOR) Rajat Sehgal, contests two main conditions: the requirement of a proximity card for voting rights and the stipulation of 12 appearances, along with the requirement for advocates from law firms to submit salary slips from the past six months to be eligible to vote.
These recommendations are intended to be incorporated into the bye-laws of bar associations. Notably, a previous SLP challenging a different condition—restricting members of one association from holding or contesting positions in another—was stayed by the Hon’ble Supreme Court on September 9, 2024.
On September 20, 2024, Rawal's SLP was listed before the bench led by Hon’ble Mr. Justice Surya Kant. Senior Counsel Mr. P. Chidambaram, along with a team of counsels, represented the petitioner. However, the bench determined that, since a related SLP was heard by a coordinate bench led by Hon’ble Mr. Justice BR Gavai, this SLP should also be addressed by the same bench.
The SLP is now scheduled for hearing before Justice Gavai's bench on Tuesday. If interim relief is granted, it could provide significant relief to hundreds of voters unable to file their declaration forms due to the retrospective application of these new conditions.