The Crossbill News Desk
The Supreme Court of India on Monday (May 11) declined to examine writ petitions challenging the decision of the Supreme Court Board of Examination to not conduct the Advocates-on-Record (AOR) examination in 2026, directing the petitioners instead to pursue relief through an administrative route.
A Bench comprising Justices Aravind Kumar and P.B. Varale held that the issue could not be addressed on the judicial side. The Bench permitted the petitioners to submit a detailed representation to the Chief Justice of India (CJI) for consideration on the administrative side, according to Live Law.
“We are of the view that the ends of justice would be met by permitting the petitioners to share a comprehensive representation to the Chief Justice of India, and once made, we don’t have any reason to think the Chief Justice would not consider it sympathetically,” said the bench, while disposing of the petitions.
The court directed the petitioners to submit the representation within 10 days.
“We have got the most empathetic Chief Justice, we are confident [that the matter would be considered],” said Justice Kumar commented, while Justice Varale also echoed a similar sentiment, saying, “We are optimistic.”
The petitions were moved by advocates who had earlier appeared for the AOR examination but failed to clear a few papers despite being declared eligible. Appearing for the petitioners, senior advocate Gopal Sankaranarayanan submitted that several candidates had narrowly missed clearing certain papers in the previous examination and had been allowed to re-attempt them in the next cycle. He argued that cancelling the 2026 examination would unfairly prejudice these candidates.
Senior advocate Shadan Farasat, representing another set of petitioners, informed the court that the candidates had spent the past year preparing after narrowly missing success in the earlier examination.
He suggested that while the court could regulate the number of advocates qualifying as AORs, discontinuing the examination altogether would be unjustified.
A Bench comprising Justices Aravind Kumar and P.B. Varale held that the issue could not be addressed on the judicial side. The Bench permitted the petitioners to submit a detailed representation to the Chief Justice of India (CJI) for consideration on the administrative side, according to Live Law.
“We are of the view that the ends of justice would be met by permitting the petitioners to share a comprehensive representation to the Chief Justice of India, and once made, we don’t have any reason to think the Chief Justice would not consider it sympathetically,” said the bench, while disposing of the petitions.
The court directed the petitioners to submit the representation within 10 days.
“We have got the most empathetic Chief Justice, we are confident [that the matter would be considered],” said Justice Kumar commented, while Justice Varale also echoed a similar sentiment, saying, “We are optimistic.”
The petitions were moved by advocates who had earlier appeared for the AOR examination but failed to clear a few papers despite being declared eligible. Appearing for the petitioners, senior advocate Gopal Sankaranarayanan submitted that several candidates had narrowly missed clearing certain papers in the previous examination and had been allowed to re-attempt them in the next cycle. He argued that cancelling the 2026 examination would unfairly prejudice these candidates.
Senior advocate Shadan Farasat, representing another set of petitioners, informed the court that the candidates had spent the past year preparing after narrowly missing success in the earlier examination.
He suggested that while the court could regulate the number of advocates qualifying as AORs, discontinuing the examination altogether would be unjustified.
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