MY LORD, YOUR LORDSHIPS GO AWAY

'My Lord' junked for 'Your Honour'Add to Clippings
[ Thursday, April 20, 2006 01:14:24 amTIMES NEWS NETWORK ]
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NEW DELHI: Their Lordships will henceforth just be their Honours. 'My Lord' and 'Your Lordship', the two phrases used since the British Raj by lawyers to address judges of the Supreme Court and high courts, have just been confined to history by the Bar Council of India.

In a recent resolution amending the rules, BCI replaced the two most important phrases with 'Your Honour' and 'Honourable Court' saying that words 'My Lord' and 'Your Lordship' are "relics of the colonial past" which need to be weeded out.

In the lower courts, lawyers can address the presiding officers as 'Sir' or the equivalent word in the respective regional languages.

"I welcome it," said Chief Justice of India Y K Sabharwal, who, while heading a bench had recently dismissed a petition filed by a lawyers’ body seeking identical change in the address system.

The CJI had asked the lawyers to approach BCI and build a consensus among advocates for the new system of address, assuring them the court had no problem with it as long as it is dignified.

Will the lawyers, so used to uttering 'Milord' and 'Your Lordship' during their arguments, adopt the new system?

Solicitor General G E Vahanvati said the prevailing system was just fine, reflecting the dignity due to the court and judges.

Supreme Court Bar Association president P H Parekh said amendment of the rules by BCI does not make it mandatory for lawyers to follow the new system of address.