Power of Attorney Holder Needs Court Permission to Represent a Party: Kerala High Court

The Kerala High Court ruled that a private person cannot appear on behalf of another solely based on a power of attorney without prior permission of the court under Section 32 of the Advocates Act.

The petitioner sought representation through a power of attorney holder. The court relied on Supreme Court rulings in T.C. Mathai & Another v. District and Sessions Judge, Thiruvananthapuram and Harishankar Rastogi v. Girdhari Sharma & Anr., which state that only enrolled advocates have the right to represent others without permission. 

As a result, the court rejected his request and dismissed the plea, reaffirming that power of attorney holders cannot automatically act as legal representatives in court.