Several bar associations across Tamil Nadu have written to Chief Justice of India (CJI) DY Chandrachud and Madras High Court Chief Justice K Sriram, protesting remarks made by Justice R Subramanian of the Madras High Court against Senior Advocate P Wilson during a recent hearing.
The Madras High Court Advocates Association (MHAA), the Federation of Bar Associations of Tamil Nadu and Pondicherry, along with other associations, have called for the formation of a committee to ensure judges treat advocates with dignity and refrain from “belittling” them in court.
In their letter to CJI Chandrachud, the Federation emphasized that “lawyers and judges are equal stakeholders in the administration of justice,” adding that some judges wrongly perceive lawyers as subordinates, leading to disrespectful behavior, such as shouting and belittling.
The incident in question occurred at the Madurai bench of the Madras High Court on October 1. A video clip from the hybrid hearing before Justices Subramanian and L Victoria Gowri circulated on WhatsApp, showing Justice Subramanian reprimanding Wilson. The judge accused Wilson of using “tricks” to seek the recusal of judges and refused to hear him, despite multiple apologies from Wilson.
In the video, Justice Subramanian can be heard saying, “You guys think you can do anything. Try your tricks elsewhere. Not before me.” Wilson clarified that he had not sought recusal but merely pointed out that Justice Gowri had previously dealt with a similar matter.
Wilson remained composed during the interaction, repeatedly apologizing and offering to argue the case. However, Justice Subramanian responded, “You need not seek our pardon, sir, you are bigger than us. We are not hearing you… We will not touch this case. You have achieved your object.”
Following the incident, several bar associations submitted representations, requesting a review of the matter and a probe into how the court proceedings were recorded and circulated online. The MHAA stated that while robust courtroom exchanges are common, the manner in which Wilson was addressed went beyond the bounds of respectful legal argument. They urged corrective measures to prevent such occurrences in the future.
In their representations to the CJI, bar associations from Thoothukudi, Chengalpattu, Vaniyambadi, Karur, Ambattur, and others also demanded that lawyers be treated with dignity and called for steps to ensure similar incidents do not happen again.
