The Supreme Court on Monday permitted 112 newly qualified Advocates-on-Record (AoRs) to cast their votes in the upcoming Supreme Court Advocates-on-Record Association (SCAORA) elections.

The bench of Chief Justice of India Surya Kant and Justice Joymalya Bagchi also granted the remaining applicants time till 5 PM on May 19 (Tuesday) to submit their eligibility forms.

The order was passed on a petition filed by advocate Ritu Rajkumari against the SCAORA Election Committee.

The Court was informed that pursuant to its earlier order dated April 27, 161 newly qualified AORs had applied for SCAORA membership and sought permission to vote in the ensuing elections. Of these, 112 were found eligible.

For the remaining applicants, the bench directed the election committee to give them one more opportunity to submit their eligibility forms and get them verified by 5 PM on May 19. If submitted in all respects, their applications would be considered for the limited purpose of permitting them to vote.

During the hearing, Senior Advocate Vikas Singh, appearing for the Supreme Court Bar Association (SCBA), flagged a related concern around SCBA membership.

"This is a very serious issue. Some of the SCAORA members are saying that they will be allowed to vote in the SCAORA elections without becoming members of SCBA. So if this is allowed, then in SCBA elections, SCAORA members will not be allowed to vote," he submitted.

Singh further urged that those who had not taken up SCBA membership should be deleted from the rolls.

Advocate Rajiv Shanker Dwivedi appeared for the petitioner.

[Read Order]