Judge orders wear dress code

NP NEWS NETWORK
PUNE

Usually, Judges orders are bound to be followed by litigants and respondent but in city, the Pune Principal District Judge has made a Dit-tak way directing the advocate to follow the dress code.

[amazon_link asins=’B075PX9NVN,B077S9HS14,B01N3BI5G8,B0798S3GX4,B071F7KBML,B0728DCMSL,B00ODC3O7W,9352779843,B076VBY7TB’ template=’ProductCarousel’ store=’policenama100-21′ marketplace=’IN’ link_id=’b028ba62-ad2e-11e8-8fd2-e3f95af83d47′]

The Pune District Principal District Judge Shreeram Modak on August 29 has directed the lawyers to abide the dress code norm laid under Civil Manual Charter 32 under rule 636 which cite about Advocate appearing in the court. He appeal to Pune Bar Association (PBA) to take this as an initiative and began following the norms from their own annual elected members.

NP NEWS NETWORK has a copy of the letter in which Judge Modak has ordered such need to be followed by the PBA member as an initiative to be followed by them and take this first step by succeeding it. Later such will be followed by them. It’s an ingenuity which need to be given a good response.”

[amazon_link asins=’B073Q5R6VR,B077WY86ZT,B07CRGDR8L,B078JVYMV1′ template=’ProductCarousel’ store=’policenama100-21′ marketplace=’IN’ link_id=’bf42d869-ad2e-11e8-a738-635332b0238b’]

Taking this as an initiative which has take up with a positive note by PBA president Subhash Pawar and Rekha Karande (Dangat-Patil) Vice- President of PBA.

As per the provision of 636 Advocates appearing in the Supreme Court, High court, subordinate court, tribunals or Authorities shall wear the following  as part of their dress Advocates.

Black and white is a symbol of the legal profession throughout world barring few exceptions. Black color generally has many different overtones. Like every color, it has both positive and negative connotations. So, on one hand, it signifies death, evil and mystery while on the other hand, it signifies the strength and authority.

The black color was chosen because of two reasons. Firstly, colors and dyes were not readily available back then. Purple signified royalty and thus, the only abundant fabric color left was black. However, the main reason behind wearing a black coat is because black is the color of authority and power. Black represents submission of oneself. Just like priests wear black to show their submission to God, lawyers wear black to show their submission to justice. The color white signifies light, goodness,

The color white signifies light, goodness, innocence, and purity. As a legal system is the only hope of justice for a common man, the color white is chosen to represent him. As the Indian system is influenced by its British rulers due to their reign, the Advocate’s Act of 1961 makes it mandatory for a lawyer to wear a black robe or coat with a white neckband on top of it in the continuity of the same. Lawyers for both the sides- petitioner and respondent wear a similar dress code. The significance of the color also highlights that law is blind. To say that it is only based differentiates on the weight of evidence and not on any other factor.

The Neckbands

The white neckbands too have their origins rooted in England. In the old English Courts, the barristers-at-law used to wear white bands as part of their uniform. Since the Barristers were the first lawyers of Indian Courts, their dress was adopted as a symbol of advocates in our country. The two pieces of white cloth joined together to form the advocate’s bands represent the Tablets of the Laws or Tablets of Stone. These are the tablets that, according to the Christian belief, were used by Moses for inscribing the 10 commandments, which he received from a burning bush on Mt. Sinai. The 10 commandments are believed to be the first example of a uniform coded law. The shape of the band is also similar to the rounded off rectangular tablets. Thus, the white advocate’s bands represent the upholding of the laws of God and of men.

1. COAT

(a) A black buttoned up coat, chapkan, achkan, black sherwani and white bands with Advocates’ Gowns.

(b) A black open breast coat, White shirt, White collar, stiff or soft, and white bands with Advocates’ Gowns.

In either case wear long trousers (White, Black Striped or gray) or dhoti excluding jeans.

1. Lady Advocates 

Lady Advocates may wear either the dress prescribed in Sub-Rule (b) or the following:

(a) Black full sleeve jacket or blouse, White collar, Stiff or soft, with white bands and Advocates’ gowns.  White blouse with or without a collar, with white bands and with a black open breasted coat.

1. SAREE OR LONG SKIRT

(b) Sarees or long skirts (white or black or any mellow or subdued color without any print or design) or flare (white, black or black stripped or gray) or Punjabi dress churidar kurta or Salwar-Kurta with or without dupatta (white or black) or traditional dress with black coat and bands.

1. ADVOCATE’S GOWN

Wearing of Advocates’ gown shall be optional except when appearing in the Supreme Court or in High Courts.

1. BLACK COAT