Lawyer attends video conferencing wearing ‘baniyan’, Rajasthan HC adjourns bail plea

In the second such incident this month, the Rajasthan High Court on Friday was prompted to adjourn bail proceedings before it after the petitioner's counsel was found to be attending the court's video conference hearing in a baniyan (inner vest), legal news website BarandBench.com has reported.

Justice Sanjeev Prakash Sharma's order begins on this note that when the "learned counsel for the petitioner was contacted through video conferencing he was found to be wearing Baniyan."

Earlier this month Justice Sharma had already instructed the High Court Bar Association to urge all advocates to appear in their uniform during hearings conducted through video conferencing after an advocate appeared in his baniyan to argue a bail case.

As luck would have it, the same judge was confronted with this issue again on Friday, prompting Justice Sharma to adjourn the proceedings to May.

Taking critical note of the lapse in court decorum, the judge further emphasised, "This court has already observed that during this (pandemic) where court functioning is being done through video conferencing, lawyers must appear in proper uniform. Even through video conferencing a (decorum) of the court is required to be maintained. The Advocates Act provides for lawyers to wear uniform while pleading case for their clients."

The court then proceeded to adjourn the proceedings to May 5, observing that, "Keeping in view that the petitioner’s counsel was not in proper uniform, this matter is adjourned."