The practicality of the existing Dress code has become a topic of debate. Prompting the Bar Council of India to set up a five-member committee to deliberate on the issue of dress code for lawyers. The council informed the Allahabad High Court of this decision after public interest litigation was filed urging the court to prescribe a dress code as per the climate.- Male advocates are required to wear:
- A black buttoned up coat, chapkan, achkan, black sherwani and white bands with gown; or
- A black open breast coat, white collar stiff or, soft, and white bands with gowns.
These have to be accompanied with long trousers (white, black striped or grey) or Dhoti, but no jeans.
- Lady advocates wear:
- Black and full or half-sleeved jacket or blouse, white collar, stiff or soft, with white bands with gown.
- Sarees or long skirts (white, or black or any mellow or subdued colour without any print or design) or flare (white, black or black striped or grey).
- Gowns are optional except when appearing before the high courts and the Supreme Court. And even the requirement of coats is dispensed with for summers in courts apart from the Supreme Court and high courts.
- Outside courts, judges and lawyers wear suits/jackets at official events apart from the swearing-in ceremony of the chief justice.
- Advocate Ashok Pandey of the Lucknow bench of the Allahabad high court had filed a public interest litigation (PIL) in the high court in July 2021, questioning the existing dress code for lawyers.
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