"Advocates' Dress Code Band Is Religious Symbol Of Christianity": PIL In Allahabad HC, Notice to BCI

The Supreme Court of Allahabad on Friday issued a notice to the Bar Council of India (BCI) requesting a ban on the existing dress code of black coats and clothes prescribed by lawyers saying it was against Indian weather.

Bench of Justice Devendra Kumar Upadhyay and Judge Ajay Kumar Srivastava also ordered the Center and the high court officials to file their responses on August 18. guidance on the drafting of new laws that require lawyers to dress according to national climate.

The PIL also sought to repeal a circular issued by high court officials, authorizing the wearing of black robes by appearing in court.

The petition also requests that judges of all courts, tribunals, authorities or any other person be barred from following the dress code prescribed by Advocates by the Bar Council of India Rules, 1975.

Significantly, the appeal is determined as follows:

"The style of dress worn by lawyers in which they will wear a coat and a belt and tie their neck with a belt is not in line with the weather ... Advocates Band is a symbol of Christianity so non-Christians cannot be forced to wear the Christian symbol… wearing white saris and salwar-kameez it is a symbol of widowed women in Hindu culture and culture so here does not make sense in the part of the BCB "

The petitioner has challenged the provisions of Chapter Four of the BCI Act, 1975 under section 49 (i) (gg) of the Promoters Act, 1961, alleging that the same is a serious (excessive) provision of the Constitution, in violation of sections 14, 21 and 25. .

Criticizing the dress code, the applicant said the Bar Council should be designed to have a specific style of dress for lawyers in the style of dress provided by the military, navy, air.