A visibly anguished CJI Kant observed that if the Delhi High Court conferred senior advocate designation upon the petitioner, the apex court would set that aside.
Published: May 15, 2026 10:11 PM IST
New Delhi: Chief Justice of India (CJI) Surya Kant on Friday compared some unemployed youngsters with “cockroaches” who go on to “become” media, social media and RTI activists and start attacking the system.
What Did CJI Say?
This comment was made when a bench of Chief Justice of India (CJI) Surya Kant and Justice Joymalya Bagchi was rebuking a lawyer for “pursuing” a senior advocate designation. The bench said that there were already “parasites” in society who attack the system and asked the petitioner whether he wanted to join hands with them.
“The entire world may be eligible to become senior (advocate), but at least you are not entitled,” the bench told the petitioner lawyer.
What Riled CJI Surya Kant?
A visibly anguished CJI Kant observed that if the Delhi High Court conferred senior advocate designation upon the petitioner, the apex court would set that aside, seeing his professional conduct, as he also referred to the kind of language used by the petitioner on the social media platform Facebook.
“There are already parasites of society who attack the system, and you want to join hands with them?” he said, adding, “There are youngsters like cockroaches, who don’t get any employment or have any place in a profession. Some of them become media, some of them become social media, RTI activists and other activists, and they start attacking everyone.”
The bench also asked the petitioner whether he did not have any other litigation.
Observations for CBI and Bar Council of India
“Is this the conduct of a person who seeks to be designated as a senior advocate?” the bench asked. It said the senior advocate designation is something that is conferred on a person and is not to be pursued.
“You are pursuing it. Does it look proper?” the top court said, asking whether a senior advocate designation was a status symbol to be kept ornamentally.
It also observed that it wanted to ask the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) to verify the degrees of many of those who were wearing black robes, as there were serious doubts over the genuineness of their degrees.
It said the Bar Council of India would never do anything on this issue as they “need their votes”.
The petitioner apologised to the bench and sought permission to withdraw the petition. The bench allowed the withdrawal of the petition.
(With PTI inputs)
