Yesterday, On 2nd July, Lawyers prohibited from using prefixes such as Lt. Colonel or MP in court documents, according to the Madras High Court. A bench comprising Justices SM Subramaniam and C Kumarappan ruled that all lawyers are equal before the court, regardless of any additional professional qualifications or statuses they hold outside the courtroom.
The Madras High Court ruled that lawyers prohibited from using honorary titles such as “Lieutenant Colonel” in any legal documents, including Vakalatnamas and cause lists. This ruling, issued on Tuesday, seeks to ensure that all lawyers are recognized equally in the eyes of the court.
The bench, composed of Justices S.M. Subramaniam and C. Kumarappan, stressed that the judiciary treats all lawyers the same, regardless of any titles they may hold or have held in the past.
This includes former Ministers, current Members of Parliament, Members of the Legislative Assembly, and recipients of prestigious awards such as the Padma awards.
The justices cited a Supreme Court judgment from 1995, Balaji Raghavan vs Union of India, which declared that national honours like Bharat Ratna and Padma awards should not be used as titles or suffixes. Any violations could result in the revocation of these honours.
Justice Subramaniam highlighted the importance of this principle by referencing the Supreme Court’s stance on the issue. Furthermore, the Ministry of Defence also issued directives stating that retired military officers are not entitled to use their military titles in civilian practices.
The Madras High Court’s ruling aligns with these guidelines, emphasizing that such prefixes should not appear in any court filings or be reflected in cause lists.
This decision is a significant step towards maintaining the integrity and equality of the legal profession, ensuring that all practitioners are seen as equal before the law, devoid of any undue influence or prestige attached to honorary titles.