Adhere to dress code in courts, AG tells Odisha officials

The office of the Advocate General in Odisha has instructed the government officers to wear formal and decent dress while appearing in person before any court or tribunal in the state in connection with cases.

The instruction has been issued to heads of various departments of the state government, officials said.

"In fact, similar instructions had earlier been issued by the AG office. But there are certain unyielding officers who appear before the courts in informal and casual dresses", said an additional government advocate (AGA)on Friday.

Although, there is no such standing instruction or any executive or judicial guideline in place, but it was imperative and expected that a government official while appearing in person before courts "must wear decent dress", the AGA said urging officials to uphold the majesty of the courts.

Several benches of Orissa High Court have recently expressed oral dis-pleasures over the unbecoming conduct of government officers appearing before them, sources said.

On many occasions, the judges have "criticised and warned the erring babus" over their poor dress sense, they said.

According to them, an IAS officer had appeared in a court wearing a T-shirt and jeans with sports shoes and he was asked by the court to go back and come again in proper dress.

"The officer was reprimanded by the court saying that it had not summoned him to play tennis inside courtroom," they said.

Similarly, an executive engineer had also recently appeared in a court wearing a striped half shirt with bright colour and the judge had criticised him saying that he was not summoned by the court to act in a movie or an album song.

In each of these situations, the government advocates asked the officials to seek unconditional apologies.