10/04/2022
BCI Forms Five Member Committee.
In July 2021, Advocate Ashok Pandey of the Allahabad high court Lucknow filed a public interest litigation (PIL) in the high court, questioning the existing dress code for lawyers.
Pandey received a counter-affidavit on his petition from the Bar Council of India on Thursday.
In the affidavit, Srimanto Sen, secretary of the BCI, stated that the regulatory body had decided to form a five-member committee to resolve the issue.
The Bar Council of India is the country’s highest regulatory body for lawyers.
“The petitioner has stated that the band is a Christian symbol and that it should be discontinued.” Non-Christians, according to his statement, cannot be forced to wear it. “He has also questioned the wearing of the coat and gown,” Srimanto Sen wrote in the letter.
“At the time of framing the rules, and to this day, it has not been given this kind of interpretation,” Sen added.
“Deep deliberations with all stakeholders, including senior members of the Bar and the judiciary, are required before the issue can be decided,” Sen said.
“As a result, the Hon’ble Chairman, Bar Council of India, is authorised to form a five-member committee to conduct detailed deliberations and report to the Council,” Sen.
Pandey stated in his petition that the prescribed dress code for lawyers is unreasonable and violates lawyers’ fundamental rights.
Pandey has also sought the revocation of the high court administration’s circular mandating the wearing of black robes during hearings.