The Delhi High Court on Thursday put on hold a circular issued by the Shahdara Bar Association (SBA) prescribing a dress code for law interns different from advocates.
Justice Prathiba M Singh, also asked Bar Council of Delhi (BCD) Chairman Murari Tiwari to convene a meeting at 4 p.m., December 12 with the Bar Council of India (BCI), Delhi High Court Bar Association and other district court bar associations to arrive at a consensus on interns’ uniforms.
A consistent uniform should be prescribed because if different bar associations prescribe different uniforms, the interns will be inconvenienced, the High Court added.
The SBA, on November 24, had introduced a new dress code for interns, comprising white shirt, blue coat and trousers, to come into effect from December 1.
It had reasoned that on many occasions, interns were seen wearing black coats in court premises, causing difficulty in differentiating between advocates and interns.
“No coercive action shall be taken against any intern for not wearing blue coat and trouser uniform while entering the Karkardooma Courts,” the High Court order added.
The new dress code was challenged by a second-year law student on the grounds that it has been issued in contravention of the relevant rules prescribed by BCI and BCD.
