BCI rules ban women lawyers from covering faces in court: J&K HC

The Jammu and Kashmir High Court has observed that the Bar Council of India’s dress code does not permit women advocates to appear in court with their faces covered. This came after an incident on November 27 when a woman, identified as advocate Syed Ainain Qadri, appeared in court representing petitioners in a domestic violence case with her face covered.

While she wore the prescribed official attire for advocates, Justice Rahul Bharti, who was presiding over the case, reportedly asked Qadri to remove the covering so her identity could be confirmed. Qadri, however, insisted that covering her face was her fundamental right, stating that the court could not compel her to uncover it. Since the court could not confirm her identity, it decided not to allow her to represent the petitioners that day.

The court adjourned the matter and directed the registrar general to verify if the rules allowed women advocates to appear with their faces covered or to refuse a court request to remove it. On December 5, the registrar general submitted a report, which was reviewed by Justice Moksha Khajuria Kazmi on December 13. Justice Kazmi remarked that the Bar Council of India's rules on dress code for women advocates "do not allow face coverings" and noted that "it is nowhere stated in the rules that any such attire is permissible for appearing before this court."

As the woman advocate chose not to appear again in the case, another lawyer stepped in to represent the petitioners. The court eventually dismissed the plea on December 13, after determining that an alternative legal remedy was available to the petitioners.