New Delhi: The Supreme Court on Wednesday stayed the operation of the judgment of the Madurai bench of the Madras high court prescribing qualifications for the lawyers contesting the Tamil Nadu Bar Council elections and a series of directions to various authorities.

A three-judge Bench of Chief Justice Diapk Misra and Justices A.M. Kanwilkar and D.Y. Chandrachud stayed the operation of the February 16 order after hearing senior counsel Salman Khurshid and counsel K.V. Mohan, appearing for petitioner K. Chandramohan, former Chairman of TN Bar Council challenging the High Court order. CJI orally observed, “It is a moralistic judgment. How can the High Court pass this kind of an order treating as if all lawyers have criminal background.”

When counsel pointed out that Justice Kirubakaran (sitting in Chennai) was passing orders through video-conferencing with another judge sitting in Madurai, the top court stayed all further proceedings in HC.