Lower your pitch, otherwise…: Chief Justice warns lawyer in courtroom
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New Delhi: Chief Justice of India (CJI) DY Chandrachud during a courtroom exchange on Wednesday warned a lawyer not try to browbeat the court over the listing of a petition, NDTV reported.
An annoyed justice Chandrachud asked the lawyer to watch for his tone, while asking him to lower his voice.
As the exchange heated up, Justice Chandrachud interrupted the lawyer asking him to be more respectful.
‘One second, lower your voice. You're arguing before the first court of the Supreme Court of India; lower your pitch, otherwise, I will have you removed from the Court,’ the CJI was heard declaring.
The court sought details of the advocate's usual practices, asking: ‘Where do you normally appear? Is this the way you shout at judges every time?’
Asking the lawyer to keep decorum in the courtroom, justice Chandrachud said ‘Please lower your pitch first. If you think you can browbeat us by raising your voice, you're mistaken. It has not happened in 23 years; it will not happen in the last year of my career’.
The advocate promptly apologized to the court before proceeding in more courteous manner.
This was not the first time Justice Chandrachud was asking lawyers to maintain decorum in the court.
The Chief Justice on a previous occasion criticised a lawyer for talking on mobile phone in the courtroom.
‘Is this a market that you are talking on the phone. Confiscate his mobile phone,’ Justice Chandrachud reportedly said.
Similarly in May last year, Justice Chandrachud responded vehemently to senior advocate Vikas Singh shouting reportedly ‘ at the top of his voice’ after the lawyer tried the apex court to ‘push up a case’.
‘Keep quiet. Leave this court right now. You cannot cower us down!’ The Chief Justice reportedly shouted, according to NDTV.