COVID-19 impact: Calcutta HC relaxes dress code for lawyers

Kolkata: The Chief Justice of the Calcutta High Court has allowed changes in dress code of lawyers in view of the medical exigencies due to the COVID-19 outbreak, a senior official said on Friday.

On a recommendation of the committee for all COVID-19 related matters, Calcutta High Court Chief Justice T B N Radhakrishnan directed that advocates of the HC and the subordinate courts will wear “plain white shirt or white salwar kameez or white saree, with a plain white neck band” during the hearings conducted through video conference.

The direction came after Chief Justice of India (CJI) S A Bobde had on Wednesday said the judges and the lawyers should not wear coat and gown for the time being as they make it “easier to catch virus”.

The dress code will remain in force “till medical exigencies exist or until further orders,” Calcutta High Court registrar general Rai Chattopadhyay said in a notification.

The same dress code will also be made applicable to the officers and registrars of the high court until further orders, excepting use of white band, it said.