The Kerala High Court on Monday dismissed the petition seeking A petition seeking Swadesi dress code for lawyers in the state has been dismissed by the High Court on Monday.
The petition filed by Vincent Panikulangara of Athani near Aluva in 2010 had been considered by Justice AM Shaffique.
The petition reportedly claimed that the present attire is similar to the British mourning dress, used since after the death of Queen Mary in 1694. It also says that the dress cause discomfort for the lawyers due to the weather condition in the state.
The temperature in Kerala reaches around 40 degrees Celsius during summer and nearly 20,000 of the 25,000 lawyers in the state, including 4,000 women members, are practising in courts other than the high court, where the rooms are not air-conditioned, the petition said. They have to wear black coats and bands to appear in courts even during summer and this causes severe hardship and inconvenience due to profuse sweating, says the petition, according to a report in The Times of India report.
The petition also alleged that the present dress code blindly imitate the British colonial style.
TOI further states that through a counter affidavit, Bar Council of India had informed the court that it has allowed lawyers practicing in courts other than the Supreme Court and the high courts not to wear coats during summer.
Opposing the petition the BCI also said in the affidavit that wearing of gown is optional except when appearing in the Supreme Court or in high courts.
The Kerala HC dismissed the petition stating that the present dress code is fixed by Bar Council of India and the High Court so it cannot be interfered with. The court also reminded that an advocate’s attire should be different from others.