A petition has been filed before the Supreme Court of India by candidates who narrowly missed qualifying the Advocates-on-Record (AOR) examination, challenging the decision to not conduct the exam in 2026.
The matter was mentioned before Chief Justice Justice Surya Kant by Senior Advocate Dama Seshadri Naidu. The petitioners argued that they fall under Regulation 11(i), having failed to clear only one paper in the previous attempt, and should be given an opportunity to reappear sooner.
During the hearing, the Chief Justice questioned why the candidates could not wait for a couple of years. In response, Naidu emphasised that the petitioners were not part of the failed category, but had only narrowly missed qualification. “They are not failed category, they are regulation 11(i) category, because one paper they missed. If they can be given a chance..” Naidu submitted.
The Bench took note of the submissions and agreed to list the matter for further hearing, indicating that the issue will be examined in due course.
The dispute arises from a recent decision taken by the Board of Examiners of the Supreme Court on April 30, 2026. The Board resolved that the AOR examination would not be conducted in 2026, citing the existing strength of Advocates-on-Record.
As per the official notification issued by the Registrar and Secretary of the Board of Examiners, the decision was based on maintaining the balance in the number of practising AORs. The notification stated, “The Competent Authority has been pleased to order that keeping in view the overall strength of the AORs, the Advocates-on-Record Examination shall not be conducted in the year 2026.”
It further clarified that the next examination is likely to be held in 2027, with detailed schedules to be announced later.
Currently, the total number of Advocates-on-Record stands at 3,791 as per records dated April 13, 2026. Subsequently, an additional 205 candidates were inducted on April 16, further increasing the overall strength.
Under the existing framework, only Advocates-on-Record are authorised to file cases and act before the Supreme Court. The AOR examination is conducted annually to regulate entry into this specialised category of advocates.
The present petition has been filed through Advocate-on-Record Mandeep Kalra, raising concerns about the impact of the decision on candidates who were close to qualifying and were expecting another opportunity in the immediate next cycle.
The case is expected to address whether administrative decisions regarding the scheduling of such examinations can be reconsidered in light of individual hardship and regulatory provisions.
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