New Delhi: The Delhi high court on Thursday prescribed a dress code for law interns to enter courts across the city — a white shirt, black pants and a black tie. The court further said that advocates appearing before any court would have to wear white bands along with the uniform prescribed for them — white shirt, black pants, and a black lawyers’ robe with a white band.
“It is clarified that the advocates appearing before any courts, from city civil courts to Supreme Court, would have to wear white bands along with uniform. Interns can enter court complexes with black tie, black pants and white shirt as prescribed by Bar Council of Delhi,” justice Prathiba M Singh said.
Justice Singh’s direction came while hearing a plea by second-year law student Hardik Kapoor, who had challenged a November 2022 circular issued by the Shahdara Bar Association (SBA) that had fixed a dress code of a white shirt, black trousers and a blue coat for interns.
On December 1, 2022, the high court put on hold the operation of the circular and called upon the Bar Council of Delhi (BCD), Bar Council of India (BCI) and all bar associations to conduct a meeting on December 12 to suggest a uniform dress code for interns.
On Thursday, the counsel appearing for the SBA told the court that there is a conflict between the uniform prescribed for advocates under the Rules prescribed by BCI, and Rule 27 of Rules of the Legal Education, 2008, which specify a formal dress code for interns.
The counsel also informed the court that a large number of judicial officers and lawyers appearing in the courts wear a black tie instead of bands, adding that there has to be a distinguishing feature between the uniform of judges and advocates, and that of interns.
The lawyer appearing for BCD relied on the resolution of the bar council to argue that the distinguishing feature in the uniforms would be a black tie to be worn by an intern.
Disposing of the petition, the court said that the SBA circular “would be superseded” by the uniform prescribed by BCD, “which would be followed uniformly across Delhi”.
“The impugned circular would not survive and shall be superseded by the uniform prescribed by Bar Council of Delhi which would be followed uniformly across Delhi. The petition is accordingly disposed of,” the court said in a verbal order.
