'Even After 7-8 Months, You Are Reckless' : Supreme Court Admonishes Advocate Who Appeared Shirtless In VC Hearing

"Even after 7-8 months, you're so reckless", admonished the Supreme Court on Tuesday as a lawyer appeared before it through video conference without wearing a shirt.

A Bench headed by Justice L. Nageswara Rao was hearing a suo moto matter pertaining to spread of the COVID-19 virus in Children Protection Homes when the lawyer appeared shirtless before the Court.

Justice Rao reprimanded the Advocate and exclaimed, "What is this? Even after 7-8 months, how can you be so reckless?"

This is the second instance of a lawyer appearing before the Top Court in inappropriate attire in the past two months. In October 2020, the Supreme Court was shocked to see an advocate appear before it shirtless.

Justice DY Chandrachud, the Presiding Judge of the Bench, shared his displeasure and stated that some decorum has to be maintained.

Justice Chandrachud further informed the Court that such an incident was an affront to the Court as even though hearings were taking place via VC, the Court was a full-fledged regular Court and the Counsels were expected to be extra careful. He observed that even though he was not someone who would take action in such incidents, but the lawyers needed to be extra cautious before appearing in Court.

In June 2020, Justice S. Ravindra Bhat had dictated in an Order that Counsels appearing before the Court should be presentable and "avoid showing images which are not appropriate and can only be tolerable in the privacy of their homes". The Order was passed in matter wherein the Advocate had appeared for Court while lying on his bed, wearing a t-shirt.

Justice Bhat accepted the unconditional apology of the Advocate and proclaimed that there was a need to follow a minimum court etiquette, given the public nature of the hearings.