Justice Muralidhar requests lawyers to avoid using terms like 'my lord' while addressing him

Chandigarh: Justice S Muralidhar, who was transferred from the Delhi High Court to the Punjab and Haryana High Court recently, has requested lawyers to avoid using terms such as “my lord” or “your lordship” while addressing him.

“It is for the information of respected members of the Bar that Hon’ble Justice S Muralidhar has requested that they may try and avoid addressing him as ‘your lordship’ or ‘my lord’,” according to a note attached to the cause list of cases issued for Monday by the Punjab and Haryana High Court.

Notably, a few years ago, the High Court Bar Association here had asked its members to prefer addressing judges as “sir” or “your honor”, though many lawyers continue to use terms such as “your lordship” to address them.

Justice Muralidhar (58) took oath as a judge of the Punjab and Haryana High Court on March 6.

He was transferred to the Punjab and Haryana High Court on February 26, the day a Delhi High Court bench headed by him expressed “anguish” over the Delhi Police’s failure to register FIRs against three BJP leaders for their alleged hate speeches.

At his farewell, Justice Muralidhar cleared the air over the controversy on his transfer. He said he had replied to Chief Justice of India (CJI) S A Bobde’s communication, saying he was fine with the proposal and had no objection to it.

The Supreme Court collegium, headed by the CJI, had recommended Justice Muralidhar’s transfer to the Punjab and Haryana High Court at a meeting on February 12.