Gujarat HC Objects To Lawyers Not Wearing Gown On VC, Says Dress Code Mandatory For Virtual Appearances Too

A bench of Justice MK Thakker observed that maintaining courtroom decorum and adhering to the professional dress code is mandatory for the lawyers even if they are appearing virtually.

The Court emphasised that virtual presence is equivalent to physical presence in the courtroom and must be treated with the same level of formality.

In this regard, the Court referred to the Gujarat High Court Rules, 1993, the Bar Council of India Rules, the Gujarat High Court Rules for Video Conferencing, and the Revised Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) for hybrid hearings issued through a circular in February 2024.

These provisions, the Court noted, uniformly require advocates to appear in proper professional attire regardless of their mode of appearance.

Importantly, the bench, in its order, made it clear that if an advocate appears in improper dress during a virtual hearing, his right of audience would be withdrawn.

To ensure compliance with its order, the Court directed the Registrar General to place the matter before the Chief Justice and to issue an appropriate circular notifying all concerned of this requirement and mandating strict adherence in future.

In related news, a video of a man allegedly attending the Gujarat High Court virtual proceeding from his washroom had recently gone viral. 

Earlier this year, the high court had even imposed a cost of Rs. 2 Lakh on a man for attending court proceedings through video conferencing from a lavatory. The concerned person was also directed to perform community service by cleaning the gardens in the high court premises for two weeks.

In 2020, the Gujarat High Court had taken a stern view of the "irresponsible conduct" of an Advocate who was seen smoking during the course of Court proceedings via video conferencing, and had imposed a cost of Rs. 10,000 upon him.