New Delhi: The Orissa High Court after experiencing some horrible incidents while conducting hearing through Video Conferencing seriously condemned the conducting of a case inside a vehicle on road.
A single-judge bench of Justice Biswanath Rath while hearing the matter through video conferencing noted that
“In the Covid-19 situation extending arguing place beyond the Court premises does not mean permitting one to argue matter inside a vehicle, from his lawn and from his drawing-room allowing his wife to join him in the process of proceeding.”
The bench stated that
“Counsel should argue at the minimum from his/her home or temporary residence and there should be the maintenance of minimum decorum.”
The court has directed the order be served on the interim committee of the Bar Council as well as the Bar Association for necessary instruction to learned Bar Members and advise them not to breach the decorum as well as decency in Court proceedings.
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The bench further mentioned the instances where a counsel after finishing his case brought his wife inside the Video Conferencing site and even after frequent requests since the position did not improve, Court from its side had to disconnect the petitioner’s connection. The second instance is, a counsel argued his matter from the garden. On query learned counsel said he could not get proper contact from inside his house, which proved to be wrong when learned counsel shifted the system to inside his house and he was requested not to repeat in future.
-India Legal Bureau