In a bid to safeguard litigants from fraud and uphold the professional identity of lawyers, the Rohini Court Bar Association (RCBA) in Delhi has announced that only advocates are permitted to wear white shirts and black pants within the Rohini Court complex.
A notice issued by RCBA on Tuesday stated, “No clerk, litigant, or member of the general public is permitted to wear a white shirt and black pants during their visit to the court complex. This attire is strictly reserved for respected lawyers/advocates as a mark of professional identity and dignity of the legal fraternity.”
This move follows repeated complaints about touts and miscreants who allegedly dress like advocates to deceive unsuspecting litigants. An earlier notice by RCBA pointed out that many individuals had been falsely representing themselves as advocates or clerks, misleading and defrauding uneducated litigants.
To tighten security further, RCBA has made it mandatory for advocates to obtain authorised ID cards for their clerks. Failure to comply may result in disciplinary action.
Rajiv Tehlan, President of RCBA, highlighted the seriousness of the issue: “Many times, even miscreants and accused persons wear the clothes of lawyers. They take up the parking reserved for advocates and constantly dupe litigants. If miscreants enter the court premises and security doesn’t check them because of their attire, the reputation of all lawyers gets hampered.”
RCBA has also overhauled its parking system by introducing Quick-Response (QR) codes. By scanning these codes, one can verify the identity of genuine advocates. Tehlan described it as a “revolutionary and pragmatic step” to improve court security and protect litigants.
Advocate Pravesh Dabas, who regularly practices at Rohini Court, supported the move. “We have instances of common litigants being defrauded by miscreants dressed in black and white. In the past, we also witnessed the infamous shootout of gangster Gogi inside the court premises, which could only happen because the assailants were wearing a lawyer’s uniform,” he said.
The decision has drawn attention from other legal circles as well. Dhir Singh Kasana, former secretary of the Saket Court Bar Association, said, “In Saket Court, there is no proper checking. This step is good for security purposes. It should happen in every court. Otherwise, thousands wearing black and white clothes enter court premises every day. I feel that this can curb the entry of fraudsters.”
