Supervisory Committee Allows Kerala Advocates Practising In Supreme Court To Seek Inclusion In Voter List For Bar Council Elections
The High-Powered Election Supervisory Committee has permitted advocates enrolled with the Bar Council of Kerala and practising in the Supreme Court to submit representations seeking inclusion of their names in the voter list for the polling booth proposed to be set up in the Supreme Court premises for the upcoming Kerala Bar Council elections. The elections to the Bar Council of Kerala are scheduled to be held on April 17, 2026.
The election process is being conducted under the supervision of a High-Powered Election Committee headed by Senior Advocate Rajiv Shakdher, in terms of the Supreme Court’s order dated November 18, 2025 in W.P.(C) No. 1319/2023. Under the same order, a High-Powered Election Supervisory Committee was also constituted to function as an appellate authority over decisions of the State-level High-Powered Election Committees. The Supervisory Committee is presided over by former Supreme Court judge Justice Sudhanshu Dhulia, with former Punjab and Haryana High Court Chief Justice Ravi Shankar Jha and Senior Advocate V. Giri as members.
The order was passed in Supervisory Committee Appeal No. 80/2026, by order dated 08.04.2026. The appellant, CK Sasi, was described in the order as an advocate hailing from Kerala, enrolled with the Bar Council of Kerala, and presently practising in the Supreme Court. The Committee recorded that his name already figured in the final voter list of advocates eligible to cast votes in the Kerala Bar Council elections, but that he was not being allowed to vote at the polling booth proposed in the Supreme Court premises. The appellant contended that many similarly situated advocates were being permitted to vote there, while he was denied that opportunity because he had failed to file a representation in time.
The Supervisory Committee also recorded that lawyers from different States and Union Territories practise before the Supreme Court, and that there is a sizeable number of lawyers there who hail from Kerala. It further noted that, in the ongoing elections to various State Bar Councils, lawyers belonging to States other than Delhi have been allowed to cast their votes in the Supreme Court premises and that arrangements have been made there for polling.
Considering these aspects, the Committee said it saw “no harm” in giving such advocates an opportunity to cast their votes at the polling booth to be set up in the Supreme Court, Delhi. It accordingly directed the Bar Council of Kerala to allow not only the appellant but also all similarly situated advocates to cast their votes in the Supreme Court premises, provided their names figure in the final voter list published on 14.03.2026. The Committee further directed that advocates desirous of voting in the Supreme Court premises must indicate the change of polling booth from Kerala to Delhi, if not already done, by sending a representation to the High-Powered Election Committee at its official email hpec.bck@gmail.com on or before 11.04.2026 by 12 noon. It clarified that representations filed after that time would not be entertained, and that only those advocates whose names were already in the final voter list would be permitted to vote after verification of their representations.
Since there was no additional Returning Officer to conduct polling at the proposed Supreme Court booth, the Committee appointed Ms. Pragya Baghel, Secretary, Supreme Court Bar Association, as the Additional Returning Officer of Kerala to conduct polling at the Supreme Court premises for the Bar Council of Kerala elections. It also directed the Bar Council of India to furnish copies of the order to Ms. Pragya Baghel and to the Presidents of the Supreme Court Advocates-on-Record Association and the Supreme Court Bar Association so that the order could be widely circulated among lawyers practising before the Supreme Court. With these observations, the appeal was disposed of.
