Indian lawyer protests over calling judges 'Your Lordship'

Indian lawyers must stop using an address which has been described as a relic of the country's colonial past, says one practitioner.

India: Disagreements over traditional forms of address Saiko3p

An Indian lawyer has protested against the use of ‘My Lord’ or ‘Your Lordship’ when lawyers are addressing judges.
Filing a Public Interest Litigation, Shiv Sagar Tiwari said that use of the terms was ‘not only avoidable relics of the colonial past, but also symbolises slavery and is contrary to Indian culture and dignity.’
The move comes after a Bar Council of India resolution in 2006 to change the address to ‘Your Honour’ or ‘Honourable Court’.  The Bar Council had asked lawyers in the Supreme Court and the High Courts to desist form using such ‘relics of the colonial past.’
However, according to Mr Tiwari, many judges and lawyers have failed to adopt this and he claimed he had recently had a petition dismissed for refusing to use the old style of address. He is calling on the Chief Justice to issue a direction stopping the practice. Source: Daily Mail
 

Email your news and story ideas to: news@globallegalpost.com

Top