Orissa HC lawyer fined ₹500 for not wearing neck band during hearing

The HC said that every profession has certain dress code and people belonging to a particular profession are recognized by their attires.

Published on: Feb 21, 2021, 15:29:15 IST

By Debabrata Mohanty, Bhubaneswar

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An advocate of Orissa high court has been asked to pay a fine of ₹500 for not wearing a neck band while appearing in a case through video conferencing in an order dated February 15. The lawyer has to deposit the amount with the Welfare Fund of High Court Bar Association, as per the order.

“Every profession has certain dress code and people belonging to a particular profession are recognized by their attires. The lawyers’ dress code is governed by the rules prescribed under the Advocates Act, 1961, making it mandatory for lawyers to wear black robe or coat with white shirt and white neck band. The Rule framed under Section 49(1)(gg) of the Advocates Act, 1961 prescribes the dress code for Advocates irrespective of designated Senior Advocates or other Advocates,” HC judge justice SK Panigrahi noted in his order while imposing the penalty.

“The profession is solemn in nature and its profundity is complemented by its attire. Being an Advocate, he is expected to appear before the Court in a dignified manner with proper dress, even if it is a virtual mode,” the order said.

Soon after the Covid-19 lockdown was announced in March, the Orissa high court switched to virtual hearing from March 26 with a limited number of judges taking up cases by virtual mode as per the roaster assigned by the chief justice.

During the virtual court system, the HC had waived off its dress code of black coat and gown and advised the lawyers to wear plain white shirt / white salwar-kameez / white saree, with a plain white neck-band.

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In a similar order, the high court in September last year expressed its unhappiness over lawyers’ conduct during virtual hearing asking the State Bar Council and High Court Bar Association to advise the lawyers to maintain basic decorum and decency in court proceedings while appearing via video conferencing.

The HC took exception to a lawyer arguing his case from inside a moving car instead of his home.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Debabrata Mohanty
Debabrata Mohanty is a senior assistant editor of Hindustan Times who works as state correspondent from Odisha covering the state's politics, governance, public policy, natural disasters, environment and its society for close to three decades. With his long years of reporting from the state capital of Bhubaneswar, Mohanty has been known as one of the most experienced and credible journalists covering Odisha for the national English dailies. His reporting combines on-ground detail with deep institutional knowledge detailing the state's changing politics, governance issues, administrative reforms and the functioning of its public institutions. He has regularly reported on issues ranging from legislative developments and public policy implementation. Politics is his core areas of expertise as he closely tracks Odisha's political landscape, including the rise and transformation of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), the Biju Janata Dal (BJD), the two principal political parties in Odisha. His long association with the state's political establishment enables him to write on contemporary developments in a larger political context. Mohanty takes a deep interest in writing human interest stories, environmental issues and documenting the impact of cyclones, floods, heatwaves, and other climate-related events in one of the most disaster-prone states. His coverage extends to public health, governance reforms and stories on accountability of government institutions. Before joining Hindustan Times, Mohanty worked with The Indian Express, Mail Today, and The Telegraph, where he covered at least six general elections and as many assembly elections. In 2007, he was selected for the prestigious Chevening Young Indian Print Journalist Programme at the University of Lincoln, United Kingdom, where he received advanced training in print journalism. In 2009 he won the Press Institute of India-International Committee of Red Cross award on conflict reporting for his on-ground reportage of 2008 Kandhamal riots.Read More

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