The Supreme Court on Monday declined to entertain petitions challenging the decision to cancel the Advocate-on-Record (AoR) examination for the year 2026. The petitions had questioned the validity of the notification issued on April 30 by the Registrar (Judicial) and Secretary to the Board of Examiners, which announced that the AoR examination would not be conducted this year.
A Bench comprising Justice Aravind Kumar and Justice PB Varale advised the petitioners to make a representation to the Chief Justice of India on the administrative side instead of pursuing judicial proceedings. The Court observed that the matter falls within the administrative domain and expressed hope that the Chief Justice would consider the representation sympathetically.
According to official data, as of May 4, 2026, a total of 3,791 Advocates-on-Record are registered with the Supreme Court. The cancellation of the AoR examination this year has sparked concern among aspiring candidates seeking eligibility to file and act in matters before the apex court.