The Supreme Court on Wednesday expressed concern over the declining courtroom etiquette among the younger generation of legal professionals, emphasizing that merely reading case files is not enough without learning the proper conduct expected in court.
A Bench comprising Justice SVN Bhatti and Justice PB Varale made the observation during a matter when a young lawyer began walking away casually while the court was still reading out its order. At the outset, the advocate had mentioned that a letter had been circulated seeking adjournment of the matter. However, as soon as the Bench began pronouncing the order, the lawyer turned to leave.
Displeased by the casual departure, the Bench remarked, “The younger generation does not want to learn court craft. Reading the case accounts for only 30 percent; the remaining 70 percent is courtroom conduct.”
In a separate but related incident underscoring the importance of courtroom decorum, the Tis Hazari Court in Delhi took note of inappropriate behaviour by a litigant during a virtual hearing in March. Additional District Judge Shiv Kumar questioned petitioner Sushil Kumar after he was seen smoking a cigarette during the video conference.
According to the court order, Sushil Kumar was initially observed talking on the phone during other case hearings and was warned not to disrupt the proceedings. Despite this, he ignored the court’s direction, leading the court staff to mute his audio.
When his own case came up, the court confronted him about his conduct. Kumar apologized and assured the judge that such behaviour would not be repeated.
