Team Blitz India
NEW DELHI: A writ petition has been filed in the Supreme Court seeking directions to amend the rules and the Advocate Act, 1961, to exempt the lawyers from wearing the traditional black coats and gowns in the scorching heat of the summer months, according to Live Law.
The petition further seeks to direct the state Bar Councils to determine ‘months of prevailing summer’ for each state in order to exempt the wearing of the black coat and gown for those months.
It is additionally prayed for the setting up of a committee of medical experts to study how wearing warm clothes in summer affects the health, work capacity, and quality of work for advocates and suggest recommendations accordingly.
Health issues
The plea urges the apex court to consider relaxing the traditional dress code for advocates across the states considering that the same may cause hardships and health issues in the extremity of the growing summer heat. The petition stresses the British-origin dress code of black coats and gowns failed to take into consideration the country’s varied climatic considerations. The continuous absorption of heat by the black colour of the uniform causes much irritability, duress and is counterproductive for the active work profile of advocates. This, the petition states, is violative of the right to safe working conditions for advocates across the country.
Unsafe, uncomfortable
“Everyone has the right to work in safe conditions. Making lawyers wear heavy black coats in summer makes their working conditions unsafe and uncomfortable. This isn’t just inconvenient; it violates their right to a safe workplace.”
It was also pointed out that those advocates already suffering from other health conditions may not be similarly placed with healthier advocates as the black dress code may impact them severely.
