SCBA President Vikas Singh, in a letter to CJI Bhushan Ramkrishna Gavai, claimed SCAORA is “acting beyond its mandate.” He accused the association of overstepping its role and interfering in matters beyond its authority.
New Delhi: The president of the Supreme Court Bar Association (SCBA), Vikas Singh, addressed a letter to Chief Justice of India Bhushan Ramkrishna Gavai, accusing the Supreme Court Advocates-on-Record Association (SCAORA) of “overstepping” its designated role.
The SCBA asserted that SCAORA has been sending out communications regarding general infrastructure and issues affecting the bar members of the Supreme Court.
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In his letter, Singh emphasized the importance of ensuring that the institution operates in a “cohesive, disciplined, and free from unnecessary overlaps” or conflicts, particularly concerning the broader interests of the bar and the Supreme Court’s infrastructure.
He highlighted the need for a unified voice within the bar, promoting “seamless collaboration” while upholding institutional integrity and maintaining harmony between the bar and the bench.
Singh’s letter stated,
“Surprisingly, in the recent times, Supreme Court Advocates-on-Record Association (SCAORA), while acting beyond its mandate, has been issuing communications on matters relating to the general infrastructure, facilities and issues concerning general Bar members of the Supreme Court. These subjects strictly fall within the exclusive domain of SCBA, which represents the collective interests of all categories of lawyers practising in the Supreme Court,”
He noted that the SCBA currently has 22,734 members, including 10,013 permanent and 12,309 temporary members, with 401 pending membership requests.
Among these members are 906 senior advocates, Advocates-on-Record (AoRs), and nearly 19,000 non-AoR practitioners. Singh pointed out that there are 3,786 AoRs registered with the Supreme Court, with only 3,000 being members of SCAORA, indicating that SCAORA does not represent all registered AoRs.
Referring to a recent issue raised by SCAORA regarding biometric entry for lawyers, Singh expressed concerns about the bar members voluntarily providing extensive personal information to the Supreme Court registry.
The Letter noted,
“If on the other hand, there is any mandate from the Supreme Court, for security reasons, upon discussion with the SCBA, the Bar would, of course, fully cooperate,”
Singh argued that sharing such biometric data could be counterproductive due to rising instances of data privacy breaches. He insisted that SCAORA’s focus should be limited to matters concerning AoR practice, such as filing procedures and registry protocols.
The letter concluded by affirming that the SCBA is the only recognized court-annexed bar association representing members who regularly practice in the Supreme Court.
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