Felicitation Ceremony Organised by All India Senior Advocates Association | Constitution Club of India | New Delhi | April 8, 2026

New Delhi, April 8, 2026
The All India Senior Advocates Association organised a felicitation ceremony at the Constitution Club of India on April 8, 2026 to honour Hon'ble Mr. Justice Rajesh Bindal, Judge, Supreme Court of India, and to formally welcome new members into the Supreme Court Bar. The occasion was attended by senior members of the Bar and the Bench and drew considerable participation from young advocates practising before the Supreme Court.

Chief Justice of India Speaks of His Early Years at the Bar
Hon'ble Mr. Justice Surya Kant, Chief Justice of India, who attended as Chief Guest, chose to speak candidly of his own background and journey at the Bar rather than confine himself to formal remarks.

The Chief Justice disclosed that he had enrolled as a young advocate at the Punjab and Haryana High Court in 1985 and was a first generation lawyer with no family background in the legal profession. He said that he had built his practice entirely through hard work and perseverance over the years and that these two qualities had carried him from his early days at the Chandigarh Bar to the office he holds today.
 

Speaking about the man being felicitated, the Chief Justice described Justice Rajesh Bindal as a fellow traveller — a young advocate who had also commenced his legal career at the Punjab and Haryana High Court and had built his standing at the Bar through the same qualities of hard work and dedication before his elevation to the Bench.
The Chief Justice praised Justice Bindal for his diligence, his commitment to the judicial office and the quality of his judgments. He observed that such dedication to the law was the need of the hour. While noting that Justice Bindal's tenure at the Supreme Court was drawing to a close, the Chief Justice expressed confidence that he still had a long way to go and that the legal community would continue to benefit from his contribution in the years ahead.

Justice Bindal on Court Presence and Mentoring
Hon'ble Mr. Justice Rajesh Bindal, speaking on the occasion, recounted his journey in the legal profession — from his early years as an advocate at the Punjab and Haryana High Court, through his elevation to the Bench, his service as Chief Justice of several High Courts and his subsequent appointment as a Judge of the Supreme Court of India.
Addressing young advocates present at the function, Justice Bindal emphasised the importance of regular court attendance. He advised young lawyers to be present inside the courtroom not merely when their own matters are listed but consistently, with the specific purpose of observing how senior advocates argue before the court — how they structure their submissions, how they respond to questions from the Bench, and how they conduct themselves under the pressure of judicial scrutiny. He said this form of practical observation is an education in itself and one that cannot be substituted by any other means.

Justice Bindal also spoke on the subject of mentoring. He said that senior advocates carry a responsibility towards their juniors that goes beyond the professional relationship within a chamber. The development of younger members of the Bar, he said, depends significantly on the guidance and time that seniors are willing to invest in them and this responsibility must be taken seriously by the Bar.

Tankha: Justice Bindal a Judge of Rare Intellect and Compassion
Mr. Vivek Tankha, former Additional Solicitor General of India, Senior Advocate, Supreme Court of India and Member of Parliament, spoke from his direct experience of appearing before Justice Bindal.

Mr. Tankha described Justice Bindal as a judge of rare intellect who brought genuine compassion to every matter that came before him. He said that in his experience of appearing in Justice Bindal's court, he found a judicial mind that was never content to apply the law mechanically but consistently looked beyond its strict terms when the interests of justice so required. He said this quality — of going beyond the realm of law in the pursuit of justice — is what distinguished Justice Bindal as a judge and what the Bar would remember him for.
 

Dr. Aggarwala Presides; Young Advocates Felicitated
The programme was presided over by Dr. Adish C. Aggarwala, Chairman, International Council of Jurists, President, All India Senior Advocates Association and former President of both the Supreme Court Bar Association and the Bar Council of India.
Dr. Ajay Kummar Pandey, Advocate, Supreme Court of India and President, Supreme Court Life Members Bar Association, felicitated young advocates on the occasion alongside Dr. Aggarwala.

Others present on the dais included Mr. Narender Hooda, Advocate General, Haryana; Mr. Manoj Goel and Mr. Anand Sanjay M. Nuli, Senior Advocates, Supreme Court of India; Mr. Anand Rattan Siddhu, Advocate General, Punjab; Mr. Jayant Sud, Additional Solicitor General of India; Dr. S. Gopakumar Nair, former Chairman, Bar Council of India; and Dr. Monika Gosain, former President, Supreme Court Bar Association.

Report filed by Supreme Law News Bureau
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