The Gujarat High Court has taken a firm stand on maintaining courtroom decorum in virtual settings, strongly criticising lawyers who appear for online hearings without wearing the mandated gown.

A bench led by Justice MK Thakker stressed that the professional dress code must be followed regardless of whether the proceedings are physical or virtual. “Virtual presence is to be treated at par with physical presence,” the Court observed, underscoring that formal decorum cannot be compromised simply because the appearance is remote.

Citing various regulatory frameworks — including the Gujarat High Court Rules, 1993, Bar Council of India Rules, the High Court’s Rules on Video Conferencing, and the updated Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) issued in February 2024 — the bench noted that all these provisions make it mandatory for advocates to dress appropriately, irrespective of the mode of appearance.

The Court made it unequivocally clear that any advocate failing to appear in proper court attire during a virtual hearing risks losing their right of audience. To reinforce compliance, the bench directed the Registrar General to place the matter before the Chief Justice and issue a circular notifying all concerned, mandating strict adherence to the dress code going forward.

The directive comes in the wake of a series of incidents reflecting a casual approach to virtual proceedings. In one recent episode, a video of a man allegedly attending a High Court hearing from his washroom went viral. Earlier this year, the Court had imposed a fine of ₹2 lakh on a person who joined proceedings from a lavatory, further directing him to perform community service by cleaning gardens within the High Court premises for two weeks.

This is not the first time the Gujarat High Court has dealt with such conduct. In 2020, it had imposed a cost of ₹10,000 on an advocate who was caught smoking during a virtual hearing, describing his behaviour as “irresponsible conduct.”

The Court's message is clear: virtual or not, the dignity of legal proceedings must be preserved at all times.