Lawyer Attends Virtual Court Proceeding Lying On Bed, Wearing T-Shirt. Reprimanded By Judge

During a virtual hearing in the Supreme Court, a lawyer appeared while lying on bed wearing a T-shirt which got him the disapproval of the judge who said that "minimum court etiquette" should be followed given the public nature of hearings, reported PTI.

The apex court said that lawyers who are appearing in matters via video-conferencing should ensure that they are "presentable." They should also avoid showing images which can be considered inappropriate.

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Justice S Ravindra Bhat accepted the apology tendered by the advocate, who said it was "inappropriate on his part to make a court appearance, whilst lying on bed dressed in a T-shirt."

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"This court is of the view that when counsel appear in court video hearings, they should be presentable and avoid showing images, which are not appropriate and can only be tolerable in the privacy of their homes," the court noted in its June 15 order.

"We are all passing through trying times and hearings by virtual courts has become an order of the day. Yet minimum court etiquette in terms of what can be considered decent dress, background, etc should be followed, given the public nature of the hearings," the apex court said.

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The incident took place when the top court was hearing a petition seeking transfer of a case pending in a family court in Haryana's Rewari to a competent court in Bihar's Jehanabad.

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The Supreme Court has restricted its functioning due to the COVID-19 pandemic and is presently hearing matters through video-conferencing.