It is not a mandate to address judges as ‘your lordship’ and ‘ my lord’ : Rajasthan HC

New Delhi : Lawyers have been asked to stop the practice to address judges as “my lord” and “your lordship” during hearings by the Rajasthan High Court on Monday.

The decision was unanimously taken in a full court meeting on July 14 to “honour the mandate of equality enshrined in the Constitution”.

In January 2014, the Supreme Court had said it was not mandatory that or lawyers to address judges as “my lord”, “your lordship” or “your honour”.

The top court was hearing a petition that said it was colonial practice and must be done away with. “When did we say it is compulsory. You can only call us in a dignified manner,” the court had said.

The SC had refused to pass orders on the plea and said the court “can’t direct” lawyers on how to address it.

“Why should we say that brother judges should not accept being addressed as lordship,” the bench had said.