ABOUT SCAORA

The Supreme Court Advocates-on-Record Association came into existence in the year 1985 with its first executive council elected at the General Meeting managing the affairs of the association consisting Mr. R.B.Datar as President, Mr. V.N.Ganpule as Vice-President, Mr. Kailash Vasdev as Secretary, Mr. M.S.Ganesh as Treasurer, Mr. Ranjit Kumar as Joint Secretary and 6 members namely Mr. K.Rajendra Chaudhry, Mr. Mukul Moudgal, Mr. Girish Chander, Mr. Raju Ramachandran, Mr. C.S. Vaidyanathan and Mr. P.H. Parekh.

The advocates on record are entitled to practice in any part of India. However, if one wants to practice as an advocate-on-record in the Supreme Court he or she needs an additional qualification. He has to practice for 4 years as an advocate and thereafter has to intimate to the Supreme Court that he has started taking training with a Senior Advocate on record because he intends to become an Advocate-on-record. After the expiry of one year's training, he has to appear for an examination conducted by the Supreme Court itself. After an advocate passes this examination he must have a registered office within a radius of 10 miles from the Supreme Court building and a registered clerk. It is after this that the Chamber Judge of the Supreme Court accepts him as an advocate-on-record.

The aims and objectives for which the Supreme Court Advocate-on-Record Association was created are:

• To promote and protect the status of the Advocates practicing as Advocates-on-record in the Supreme Court of India.
• To take necessary steps to promote professional competence and maintain professional integrity and prevention of unethical practices, and to decide and settle all disputed questions of professional conduct and courtesy between or among the Advocates-on-record of the Supreme Court and other Advocates.
• To consider all questions affecting the interests of the Advocates-on-records, including questions of professional fees of Advocates and to frame rules thereof.
• To consider and express its opinion on all measures affecting the profession and seek changes in law or practice of law.
• To take action for promotion and improvement in law and its administration of justice; and for the purpose aforesaid, to submit necessary recommendations before the legislature, the Government of India, State Governments, the Judges of High Courts and the Supreme Court and the Law Commission or any other authority.
• To establish a forum where Advocates-on-Record can mutually discuss their problems and lay down norms and guidelines for cohesive and concerted action and discipline and working of the Advocates-on-Record within the court and elsewhere.
• For good cause to the admission of any person as an Advocate-on-Record of the Supreme Court and for the like cause to get any Advocate-on-Record struck off from the Roll or suspended from practice. To establish or acquire and maintain a library or libraries for the use of the members of the Association.
• To promote dissemination of information on legal subjects by lectures, discussions, and publications of books and journals.
• To do all such other things as are incidental or conducive to the attainment of the above objects. To issue or authorize publication of material in furtherance of its objects.
• To take measures to provide for financial aid to members of association and to members of their families in the case of death or incapacity and to take subscriptions for Group Insurance.
• To take measures with a view to provide an efficient system of law reporting and promote publication on works of Law.
• To work in cooperation with other Associations, Institutions, Organizations, national and international, and to send delegations to national or international conferences in the pursuit of all or any of the above objects.
• To hold Conferences or Seminars.
• To establish institutions for training of Advocates, including training for the Advocates-on-Record Examination.
• To frame Rules and Regulations for Implementation of the objects of the Association

Though the Supreme Court of India was inaugurated on 28th January 1950, the rules and procedure as applicable to the Federal Court were continued for a long time thereafter. Article 145(1) of the Constitution empowers the Supreme Court to frame rules. In May 1964, the then Chief Justice Mr. Gajendragadkar constituted a committee of 3 members of the Supreme Court Bar, namely Shri Narayan Andley, Shri I.N.Shroff, and Shri Janardhan Sharma. The Registrar and the Dy. Registrar assisted this Committee. This Committee drafted the revised rules and submitted them to the Hon'ble Chief Justice. Thereafter, the Chief Justice constituted a sub-committee of 5 judges consisting of Justice Subba Rao, Justice Wanchoo, Justice Hidyatullah, Justice J.C.Shah and Justice Sikri. The Committee examined the draft rules and considered further suggestions received from the members of the bar. Thereafter the full court finalised the rules and these rules received the sanction of the President of India on 20th December 1965. Under these rules the concept of the advocates-on-record came to be formalised.