Punjab and Haryana High Court initiates move towards allowing only local counsel to appear before it

The Punjab and Haryana High Court has proposed that only local lawyers be allowed to appear and argue before it. .Therefore, parties who wish to litigate in Punjab and Haryana High Court may have to appoint lawyers whose names appear in the High Court's roll of advocates to appear in their cases before the High Court.If an advocate who is not on the roll of the High Court wants to appear before the High Court, he/ she will have to file an appointment along with an advocate who is on such roll. .The High Court administration has initiated a process to prepare a ‘Roll of Advocates’ practicing before it along the lines prescribed by Rule-3-A, Chapter 6, Part B Volume-V of the Punjab and Haryana High Court Rules and Orders..To this end, the administration has instructed advocates practicing before the High Court to submit their details..The January 12 letter quotes Rule 3-A which reads:“Unless the court grants leave, an advocate who is not on the ‘Roll of Advocates’ in the Punjab and Haryana High Court shall not be allowed to appear, act or plead in the High Court as the case might be unless he/she files appointment along with an advocate who is on such roll of the Punjab and Haryana high court… The advocates desirous of practicing in the high court of Punjab and Haryana are required to apply for inclusion of their names in the list of ‘Roll of Advocates’ as per proforma.”.The letter has clarified that every application for inclusion in the advocates' roll shall have every advocate’s full name, father’s/husband’s name, passport-sized coloured photograph, enrolment number, date of enrolment, email ID, complete postal address both of residence and office which is required to be in Chandigarh or Mohali district or Panchkula district..It is informed that the roll will come into force after a notification by the Chief Justice and will be revised periodically..Advocates have been directed to furnish details to the High Court administration by February 12, in electronic form to mail id: rollofadvocates.phhc@gmail.com as well as in print. Apart from the details required, advocates must also submit an undertaking that they have not made any application anywhere else for listing in the ‘Roll of Advocates’ in any other High Court..[Read Letter]