No Enactment Fixing Number Of Persons Who Can Appear For Or Accompany Party To Court: Madras HC While Dismisses Plea To Limit Number of Advocates Accompanying VIPs In Courts

The Madras High Court has dismissed a writ petition that sought to impose a cap on the number of advocates accompanying VIP or VVIP litigants in subordinate courts.

The Division Bench of Chief Justice KR Shriram and Justice Senthilkumar Ramamoorthy, stated that no legal provision currently exists to limit the number of advocates appearing with or accompanying a litigant.

"The admitted position is that there is no enactment at present which fixes the number of persons who can appear on behalf of or accompany a party to Court," the Bench said. 

Advocate R. Ganesan appeared for the petitioner, and Advocates B. Vijay and A. Edwin Prabakar appeared for the respondent.

Consequently, the Court held it could not direct the Registrar General to impose such restrictions and dismissed the plea.

The Bench stated, "In the absence of a public duty on the first respondent to impose restrictions with regard to the number of advocates appearing for or accompanying VIPs/VVIPs, the petitioner is not entitled to a mandamus as prayed for.”

"For the reasons aforesaid, W.P.No.22971 of 2023 is dismissed without any order as to costs. W.M.P.No. 25069 of 2023 stands closed," the Court ordered. 

The Writ Petition was filed by Advocate N Mahendra Babu. According to Babu, he presented this petition after submitting a representation dated July 17, 2023, to the first respondent (The Registrar General) to frame rules restricting the number of advocates appearing for and accompanying VIPs/VVIPs.

Cause Title: N Mahendra Babu v. The Registrar General and Others [W.P. No. 22971 of 2023]

Appearance:-

Respondent: Advocates B.Vijay, A.Edwin Prabakar (State Government Pleader), Habeeb Rahman (Government Advocate), C.K.Chandrasekar

Click here to read/download the Order