An advocate appeared shirtless for a video conference hearing of the Sudarshan TV case on Monday, sending several Supreme Court judged to a state of utter shock. Reports said Justice DY Chandrachud who presided the bench asked who the judge was during the hearing, but there was no response. Justice Chandrachud has reportedly expressed his reservation against such casual behaviour. Justice Indu Malhotra, who was also part of the bench, was also disgusted and said the action was ‘unpardonable’.Court hearings, including that of the Supreme Court, are being conducted online and this is not the first stray incident of an advocate or lawyer found breaking decorum.

Senior advocate Rajeev Dhavan was seen smoking during an online hearing.

A Rajasthan high court lawyer appeared in an online bail hearing in vest, drawing the ire of a judge. “This court has already observed that during this pandemic where court functioning is being done through video conferencing, lawyers must appear in proper uniform… keeping in view that the petitioner’s counsel was not in proper uniform, the matter is adjourned,” the court said. Advocates Act requires lawyers to appear before courts in a prescribed dress, it had noted.