Delhi High Court Reprimands Lawyer Appearing On VC From Park, Again Requests Bar Associations To Sensitize Advocates
Reprimanding a female lawyer for appearing on video-conferencing from a park, the Delhi High Court has once again requested bar associations across the national capital to sensitize their members about appearance in Courts through VC.
Justice Girish Kathpalia said that the VC facility was started during COVID-19 pandemic to ensure that lawyers appear before Courts while sitting in their office but the same does not mean that lawyers would appearing standing in a park.
The judge had previously made similar request to the bar associations in February this year.
The lady lawyer appeared through videoconferencing using her mobile phone, while moving around in a park. On being asked, she informed the Court that she was standing in Agra Court.
On this, Justice Kathpalia noted that despite repeated directions, “certain sections of the Bar” failed to understand the decorum of the Court.
“The facility of videoconferencing, which was started during Covid pandemic was extended in order to ensure that the counsel may appear through videoconferencing sitting in his/her office so that the counsel is spared of running around in different court complexes in Delhi. But this does not mean that the counsel would appear standing in a park,” the Court said.
It added, “Earlier also, such directions were issued and sent to all Bar Associations across Delhi with the request to sensitize bar members. But it appears that the same has not been done.”
While the Court refused to mark the presence of the lawyer, it considered the bail matter noting that the litigant should not suffer on account of such fault.
The Court issued notice in the bail plea filed by one Suraj Das in a matrimonial case registered under Section 498A, 304B and 34 of the Indian Penal Code, 1860.
While directing the Delhi Police to file its status report in the matter, the Court said:
“A copy of this order be sent to Bar Associations across Delhi with fresh request to sensitize their members about appearance in Courts through videoconferencing.”
Previously, a coordinate bench had expressed displeasure with a lawyer who joined court proceedings through virtual conferencing mode in a moving vehicle, observing that such appearance “undermines the formalities of judicial process.”
It had also expressed its reservation at a lawyer appearing before it virtually, while driving his car.
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Title: SURAJ DAS v. STATE,NCT OF DELHI