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New Delhi, Sept 16: The CJI DY Chandrachud-led bench decided to impose a fine of Rs 2,000 on an advocate on record for attempting to postpone a hearing through an unprepared junior advocate.
An advocate on record is a lawyer who is authorized to represent clients and file cases in the Supreme Court. The incident occurred when the three-judge bench took up the matter and a junior advocate, possibly asked to fill in for his senior at the eleventh hour, appeared before the court without the necessary case file and was unable to respond to any queries related to the case.
You can't take us for granted like this. There are infrastructural costs involved in the functioning of the court. Start arguing," the bench, also comprising Justices PS Narasimha and Manoj Misra, said.
The junior lawyer, in his reply to the bench, stated that he had no prior knowledge of the case and had not received any instructions to present arguments.
To this, the bench said," We are under instructions to hear the case from the Constitution. Please call the AoR. Ask him to appear before us." Subsequently, the AoR participated via video conferencing and expressed his apologies to the highest court.
The bench inquired about the reason behind his decision to send an unprepared junior to court without any case-related documents or familiarity with the matter.
The bench then recorded in its order," A junior was sent unprepared without any papers. When we declined to grant an adjournment, the advocate on record appeared. Matters cannot be conducted in this manner. This is doing a disservice both to the court and to the junior, who is made to appear without any papers."
"The Advocate on Record shall deposit costs of Rs 2,000 to the Supreme Court Bar Association and produce a receipt of the same."
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