The Delhi High Court conferred the Senior Advocate designation on 85 lawyers — including 11 women — at a Full Court meeting held on the evening of July 9, 2026, chaired by Chief Justice Devendra Kumar Upadhyaya.
The formal notification, bearing No. 944/SAS/DHC and dated July 9, 2026, was issued the same day by Registrar General Arun Bhardwaj, according to Law Trend.
Background: How We Got Here
The 2026 designation cycle saw a total of 231 candidates apply for the Senior Advocate status at the Delhi High Court, making it one of the larger application pools in recent memory.
Of the 231 applicants, 86 qualified under the prescribed evaluation criteria set by the Committee for Designation of Senior Advocates, as reported by Bar & Bench. The Full Court ultimately cleared 85 names.
- Candidates were assessed on multiple parameters including years of standing at the Bar, reported judgments, contributions to the legal profession, and interaction before the Committee, according to BW Legal World.
- The Committee for Designation of Senior Advocates comprised Chief Justice Devendra Kumar Upadhyaya as Chairperson, along with Justice V. Kameswar Rao and Justice Nitin Wasudeo Sambre as members, per Bar & Bench and LiveLaw.
- Other Committee members included N. Hariharan, President of the Delhi High Court Bar Association (DHCBA); Chetan Sharma, Additional Solicitor General; and Senior Advocate Sanjay Jain, as reported by LiveLaw.
- In the prior designation cycle, the Delhi High Court had designated 70 lawyers, including 12 women, as Senior Advocates, according to Law Beat.
The Ruling — Key Findings
The designation was conferred under Section 16(2) of the Advocates’ Act, 1961, acting on a resolution passed by the Full Court, as confirmed by Law Chronicle and Law Trend.
The Full Court, chaired by Chief Justice Devendra Kumar Upadhyaya, approved the 85 names following the Committee’s evaluation of all 231 applications. Of those applicants, 86 cleared the prescribed criteria, and 85 were ultimately approved, according to Bar & Bench and India Legal Live.
The 11 women conferred the Senior Advocate designation are: Sangeeta Bharti, Abha Malhotra, Maneesha Dhir, Mamta Tiwari, Amrit Kaur, Beenashaw Nanda, Warisha Farasat, Rajeshwari N., Anju Bhattacharya, Kanika Agnihotri, and Manali Singhal, as reported by LiveLaw and BW Legal World.
Notable male advocates in the list include Pavan Duggal, Deepak Chopra, Sanjeev Mahajan, Shanker Raju, Rajesh Mohan, Niki Kantawala, Varun Goswami, Sujoy Chander Kumar, Ankur Chhibber, Rakesh Kumar Gupta, Amit Prasad, and Sanjay Lao, among others, per BW Legal World and Law Trend.
Reactions & What’s Next
No official statements or reactions from the newly designated Senior Advocates have been reported in the verified sources at the time of publication.
The formal notification No. 944/SAS/DHC, issued on July 9, 2026, by Registrar General Arun Bhardwaj, gives the designation immediate legal effect under the Advocates’ Act, 1961. No further procedural steps are reported as pending.
The 2026 cycle marks an increase from the previous round, when 70 advocates were designated — signalling a continued effort by the Delhi High Court to expand the Senior Advocate pool while maintaining rigorous assessment standards.
More legal news at The Courtroom.
How many lawyers were designated as Senior Advocates by the Delhi High Court in 2026?
The Delhi High Court designated 85 lawyers as Senior Advocates at a Full Court meeting held on July 9, 2026. Of these, 11 are women.
Who chaired the Full Court meeting for the Senior Advocate designation?
Chief Justice Devendra Kumar Upadhyaya chaired the Full Court meeting and the Committee for Designation of Senior Advocates at the Delhi High Court.
Under which law is the Senior Advocate designation conferred?
The Senior Advocate designation is conferred under Section 16(2) of the Advocates’ Act, 1961, on the basis of a resolution passed by the Full Court.
Who are the 11 women designated as Senior Advocates by the Delhi High Court in 2026?
The 11 women are: Sangeeta Bharti, Abha Malhotra, Maneesha Dhir, Mamta Tiwari, Amrit Kaur, Beenashaw Nanda, Warisha Farasat, Rajeshwari N., Anju Bhattacharya, Kanika Agnihotri, and Manali Singhal.
How many candidates applied for the Senior Advocate designation in the 2026 cycle?
A total of 231 candidates applied in the 2026 cycle. Of these, 86 qualified under the prescribed evaluation criteria, and 85 were ultimately cleared by the Full Court.
Disclaimer
Disclaimer: This article is for general information only and does not constitute legal advice. Laws may change or vary by case — consult a qualified lawyer before acting. The Courtroom is not liable for any reliance on this content.
