To counter coronavirus, new dress code for judges and lawyers

Supreme Court justices were holding video conference hearings from his home.

New Delhi:

Judges and lawyers can soon say goodbye to traditional black coats and gowns, at least as long as the coronavirus is present. The Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of India, SA Bobde, who asked the legal fraternity to avoid black, announced a new dress code later in the evening.

“As a precautionary measure to contain the spread of Coronavirus (COVID-19) infection under the prevailing conditions, the Competent Authority is pleased to indicate that advocates may wear” plain white shirt / white-salwar-kameez / white sari, wearing a plain white collar band “during hearings before the Indian Supreme Court through the Virtual Court System until there are medical demands or until further orders,” said a notification.

Earlier today, the Chief Justice and other judges exchanged the coat for white shirts with a neckband.

“Avoid black coats and robes for now because it makes it easier to catch the virus,” Chief Justice Bobde said during the public interest litigation hearing.

The judges, who were holding videoconference hearings from their home, resumed hearings in court rooms since yesterday. But respondents have yet to go to court and join via video conference.

During yesterday’s hearing, Attorney General Tushar Mehta asked the Tribunal: “Are you sitting in the courtroom?

Judge Nageswara Rao replied that it was a pilot project. “Starting next week, we will only be sitting here. Lawyers can argue from the camera,” he added.

The upper court was scheduled to be for the summer vacation from May 18 to July 6. But with the pilot project, it seems that the summer holidays will not take place. However, no official announcement has been made about a cancellation.

On Monday, for the first time since inception, the Supreme Court ruled that starting May 13, its single-judge court will hear bail appeals and early bail in cases where the crimes carry a prison sentence of up to seven years in addition to case transfer requests.

The higher court, which currently has 32 judges outside of the sanctioned force of 34, normally sits in the mix of two or three, in addition to the largest banks in the Constitution.