Senior Advocate Rajeev Dhavan decides on quitting court practice

Senior Advocate Rajeev Dhavan has decided to give up court practice.

In a brief and precise letter addressed to Chief Justice of India Dipak Misra, Dhavan said, “After the humiliating end to the Delhi case, I have decided to give up court practice.

You are entitled to take back the Senior gown conferred on me, though I would like to keep it for memory and services rendered.”

In the recent times, Dhavan has had a series of tiffs with various judges at the Supreme Court. He had a spat of Chief Justice Dipak Misra in the NCT of Delhi v. Lt. Governor Case, with Misra J also taking serious objection to Dhavan’s conduct. Unhappy with Dhawan’s continued submissions on the same point, the CJI said: “You go on shouting. You are always like that. We will give our judgment.” This choice of words by the Chief Justice embarrassed Dhawan, who regretted that the Constitution Bench was not permitting him to articulate his propositions.

An unhappy Dhavan then said he would not mind losing the case, and referred to the Chief Justice’s observation that the bench would give its judgment, whatever his propositions are. The Chief Justice denied making such an observation. Concluding his submissions, Dhawan apologised to the bench, if he had misunderstood its interventions during the hearing.

In 2013 too, during the hearing of the 2G case, Dhavan had hit out at Justice GS Singhvi for refusing to hear a case and rescuing from the matter.

In 2014, during the hearing of the SEBI-Sahara matter, he antagonized the Bench of Justice KS Radhakrishnan and JS Khehar resulting in strong observations against his conduct.

Subsequently, he also had a tiff with former Chief Justice of India TS Thakur in the same case twice – in 2014 and 2016.

PFA the letter.