The Supreme Court, on May 13, 2025, issued new guidelines governing the designation of Senior Advocates, marking a significant shift from the earlier system established post the 2017 Indira Jaising judgment. A Bench comprising Justices Abhay S Oka, Ujjal Bhuyan, and SVN Bhatti has ordered all High Courts to amend their existing rules within four months in line with the revised framework. Notably, the Court has done away with the "marking system" that was previously used to assess candidates, stating that decisions on designation should now be made by the Full Court either through consensus or, failing that, through a democratic voting process. The Court left it to the discretion of the High Courts to decide whether a secret ballot should be used in particular cases.

Importantly, the minimum qualification of 10 years of practice remains unchanged. The Court emphasized that applications submitted by advocates will be treated as consent, but also clarified that the Full Court may consider designations suo motu—without a formal application. Individual judges can no longer recommend candidates for designation. The Court reiterated that one round of designation should be conducted annually, and any ongoing processes will follow the earlier Indira Jaising guidelines. However, no new designations are to be initiated until rules are amended in accordance with the present judgment. The Supreme Court concluded by urging periodic review of the designation process to ensure continued improvement and transparency