Gujarat HC fines lawyer for smoking during online hearing

 Putting up a smokescreen of arguments to defend one's client may be par for the course, but the Gujarat High Court did not take it lightly when it saw a lawyer smoking during a virtual hearing.

Due to the Coronavirus scare, the high court is hearing cases through video conference.During one such hearing, Justice A S Supehia noticed that the complainant's lawyer was sitting in a car and smoking.

The court chided the lawyer, J V Ajmera, for his "irresponsible conduct" and imposed a fine on him.

"This Court seriously deprecates such conduct of advocate J V Ajmera," it said in an order and asked him to deposit Rs 10,000 in the registry within a week.

It was not expected from an advocate to be smoking in the car during Court proceedings. Such behaviour of the advocate is required to be strictly condemned, the judge further said.After this episode, the court has also barred advocates from attending proceedings from "any vehicle or any open ground".

The court directed the Bar Council of Gujarat and Bar Association of High Court to instruct their members to attend online hearings from "residences or offices".