Yatin Oza case: Apex Court refuses to permit arguments by multiple counsels, asks for short synopsis

Read order: Yatin Narendra Oza vs. High Court of Gujarat

LE Staff

New Delhi, July 29, 2021: Hearing the case challenging the revocation of senior designation of advocate Yatin Oza by the Gujarat High Court, the Supreme Court has said it will not permit multiple counsels to argue and asked them to submit a synopsis in the line of which they will confine their submissions. 

The Division Bench of Justice Sanjay Kishan Kaul and Justice Subhash Reddy clarified that the parties shall file a short synopsis running into not more than three pages each and confine their submissions in the line of that synopsis, with not more than one judgment cited per proposition.

The Bench said the schedule of hearing for counsels was being set down since even earlier the arguments have been heard and time was spent. 

The Apex Court allowed the applications for exemption from filing certified copy of the challenged order and certain additional documents. 

Counsel for the High Court solicited that the matter was reconsidered by the Full Court in a meeting held on June 20, 2021, but the decision taken earlier had been reiterated. Accordingly, it was pleaded that the matter would have to be heard on merits.

The Bench also fixed the timing for arguments by senior advocates Arvind Dattar and Abhishek Manu Singhvi.

“We have made it clear that we will not permit multiple counsels to argue,” added the Bench. 

The Supreme Court also said that C.A. Sundaram, the senior counsel in support of his intervention application, is permitted 15 minutes to address while Nikhil Goel, counsel will take about 45 minutes plus for his submissions.

The matter is listed for disposal on September 1, 2021.