Prayagraj, March 16: The Allahabad High Court pulled up the lawyer for appearing in the court without a gown and said that the act of the lawyer was ‘unfortunate’.
A division bench of Justice Pritinkar Diwakar and Justice Ashutosh Srivastava said that he could have referred this act of the lawyer to the UP Bar Council for action. But the court said that he is a ‘young’ lawyer, hence did not do so. Young advocate Sandeep appeared in the court on behalf of the petitioner Northern Coal Field Limited. He stood before the court without wearing a gown.
Similarly, last month, the Allahabad High Court had adjourned the hearing on the bail plea for refusing to turn on the camera due to the petitioner’s lawyer not being in full dress during the virtual hearing.
A division bench of Justice Samit Gopal had termed it as “objectionable” and posted the matter for further hearing. When the lawyer attended the hearing through video conferencing, his camera was switched off. When the lawyer was instructed to turn on his camera, he said that he was not dressed, so he could not turn on the camera.
Last year, the Allahabad High Court had reprimanded a lawyer who appeared with another person through VC mode. The man had appeared on screen ‘without a shirt’. Only last year, the Allahabad High Court had termed as ‘unacceptable’ the act of a lawyer, who was trying to prepare himself while pronouncing the order in a bail application by the court.
The court had said, “The counsel appearing for the applicant is not in proper uniform as per the modus operandi of the court. He is trying to be ready when the order is being given. This is not acceptable.
In June 2021, the Allahabad High Court pulled up a lawyer who was trying to argue the case while sitting in a car. The Allahabad High Court had also directed the Registrar General of the High Court to prepare a set of ‘Do’s and Don’ts’ rules for lawyers during the hearings to address the courts.
This order of the bench of Justice Rahul Chaturvedi had asked the office bearers of the bar associations of the High Court to advise their members not to adopt any casual approach while appearing before this court through virtual mode, which would hinder the administration of justice.
Expressing its indignation at that time, the court had said, “Lawyers should keep in their mind that they are participating in a serious proceeding before the courts.” He is not sitting in his drawing room and is not spending his leisure time.
