The Gujarat High Court has introduced a Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) for virtual hearings, making it mandatory for participants to maintain the dignity and etiquette of the court, failing which they may face contempt proceedings.
The move follows incidents of indecent behaviour by a party and a senior advocate during online hearings in the past two months. In one such case, the court took suo motu cognisance and initiated contempt proceedings against a person who appeared from a toilet seat during proceedings.
As per the new SOP, utmost discipline and decorum must be maintained in accordance with clause (j) of rule (5) of the Gujarat High Court Live Streaming of Court Proceedings Rules, 2021. The virtual joining link will be published in the daily cause list, and lawyers or parties must provide complete details on the dashboard before entry into the virtual courtroom.
All participants will first be placed in a virtual waiting room, where the court master will ensure proper setting and attire. Only one device is allowed for joining the hearing, with all others to be switched off or put in airplane mode.
Participants, including advocates, must present themselves from a suitable environment that upholds the court’s dignity and are prohibited from moving locations during the live proceedings, especially when joining through a mobile phone.
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