Delhi HC Warned Lawyers Interfering With Court Proceedings Through Virtual Hearings

Justice Prathiba M Singh of the Delhi High Court on Friday warned lawyers about frequently interfering with court proceedings through video conference.

The judge stated that if this continues, the Court will have to take strict measures, and repeat offenders will not be allowed to appear virtually.

She noted that, “We will get their enrolment number and say that these people will not be allowed virtual hearing. People are showing up without bands.”

The strong remarks came after some lawyers continued to disrupt the proceedings. Justice Singh stated that she was confronted with similar problems just yesterday.

On Friday, a lawyer appeared via video conference and asked the Court what was going on. Another counsel was unaware of the matter in which she was appearing. Previously, an advocate was logged in via two devices, resulting in echo.

Justice Singh stated that all this led to the Court observing that the proceedings have become a ‘joke’. She added that people can be seen walking in parks and logging into hearings while standing in corridors.

“They are not even sitting in their offices. None of them have any papers. Court has to tell them if their matter is passed over. We have to repeat the dates three times,” she stated.

The majority of Delhi High Court benches allow counsel to appear virtually. This, however, has resulted in many faux pas, prompting the judges to express their displeasure several times.

Many judges ask lawyers to physically appear in court if their cases require a detailed hearing.