India, Feb. 12 -- The Supreme Court's full court has decided to excluded Bar Council representatives from the senior advocate selection committee, marking a shift from the practice since 2017, according to the latest guidelines approved on Tuesday.

The new rules, titled "Guidelines for Designation of Senior Advocates by the Supreme Court of India, 2026," released by the top court on Wednesday, introduced changes to the designation process as outlined by a May 13, 2025 decision of a three-judge bench.

The 2026 guidelines remove the points-based assessment and limit the committee to the Chief Justice and two senior-most judges.

Under the earlier guidelines, the designation was to be recommended by a Permanent Committee at the Supreme Cou...