Users Blame 'Colonial Baggage' As India's Chief Justice Takes Exception to 'Your Honour' Title

Netizens have expressed contempt for the “ego” and “vanity” shown by Chief Justice of India (CJI) Arvind Bobde, after a law student in the Supreme Court referred to him as “Your Honor” on Tuesday.

The incident quickly went viral on Indian social networks. Commenting on what senior judges find important, Indian netizens expressed their disappointment that the Indian judiciary still carries “colonial baggage” after all these years of independence. 

​In India, Supreme Court and High Court judges are addressed as My Lord of My Lady – hangovers from the English traditions. However, the term “Your Honour” is an American title in court proceedings.

In a similar court incident in August 2020, CJI Bobde slammed another lawyer for using “Your Honor” in the court.

At the time, the lawyer argued that India does not have a particular law about addressing a judge in courts.

CJI Bobde, however, then requested the lawyer to use terms that are practised in Indian courts.

In recent years, several petitions have challenged the use of colonial terms in democratic India - that are still reminiscent of slavery for Indians. Although some judges demand to be called “My Lord” or “My Lady”, some have taken the radical step of requesting to be addressed as “Sir” or “Madam”.

Previously, the Punjab and Haryana High Court Bar Association asked members to address judges as “Sir”. In July 2020, the Calcutta's High Court Chief Justice Thottathil Bhaskaran Radhakrishnan also advised all legal officers under the high court jurisdiction to address him as “Sir” instead of “My Lord”.