The Punjab and Haryana High Court (HC) recently criticised lawyers who use mobile phones in the middle of hearings to search for answers online to judicial queries. While hearing a case, Justice Sanjay Vashisth took serious exception to a counsel repeatedly resorting to using his phone to look up information instead of having the necessary material ready beforehand.
The Judge observed that this is a growing habit and disrupting proceedings, reflecting poor preparation ny the lawyers. He warned the Bar Association to remind its members that such behaviour could lead to stricter measures in the future. The judge ordered that a copy of the order be sent once again to the President and Secretary of the Bar Association so that members could be reminded not to test the Court’s patience.
“Let today’s order be also supplied, so that the President/Secretary of the Bar Association may apprise the worthy members not to compel the Court to pass any harsh order on account of repeated use of mobile phones during the course of hearing to update themselves through artificial intelligence/ online platforms/ Google information,” the Court directed. The Judge observed that this was not the first time such conduct had been noticed and that it had become a recurring problem.
The judge observed that advocates were increasingly depending on online searches, artificial intelligence tools and Google rather than thorough preparation before appearing in court. The Court noted that proceedings were often stalled while lawyers searched for answers on their phones, sometimes making the Court wait for responses that should have been known in advance.
“The Court is concerned and bothered time and again by the respective members of the Bar using mobile phones during the course of hearing, just in front of the Court.
Even sometimes, proceedings are to be stalled, awaiting the answer, which would come only after retrieving information from such mobile phone,” said the Order dated September 30, uploaded recently.
Justice Vashisth also referred to an earlier incident from September 19, where a lawyer’s phone had been seized for similar conduct. The Court had, on that occasion, directed that the order be circulated by the High Court Bar Association among its members to discourage
the practice.