Queer lawyer writes to CJI seeking space in Supreme Court appearance slips for pronouns to be added

A queer lawyer has written to Chief Justice of India (CJI) DY Chandrachud requesting a modification in Supreme Court appearance slips so as to include an additional column where lawyers' pronouns can be added..In his letter sent to the CJI via e-mail on November 26, Rohin Bhatt, a lawyer practising before the top court stated that such a small step would go a long way in improving experiences within the legal system for trans, gender non-confirming and gender diverse lawyers."While this may seem simple, and such a change will only require an administrative direction from you, it will go a long way in affirming the identities of the queer lawyers that appear before the Supreme Court," reads the letter..For Bhatt, this step, if implemented, would "herald in a new era of a queer-friendly judiciary" that supports a shift in professional practice towards asking all people how they should be respectfully addressed, acknowledging that this should not be assumed based on name, appearance or voice. He also seeks that the lawyers' preferred pronouns be correctly used in the Court's orders and judgments..Various other courts around the world have done it, claims Bhatt in his letter. To substantiate his claim, he cites an example of the Provincial Court of British Columbia in Canada, which asks people to state their name, title (sometimes called "salutation"), pronouns to be used in the proceeding and for lawyers to provide this information for their clients. Further, he explains that if the same is not disclosed, court clerks prompt lawyers to do so..Bhatt also attached to his letter a sample modified appearance slip..He elaborates in the letter that words used to describe people are essential to their gender identity and language can often inflict symbolic violence on transgender litigants and lawyers in court, leading to psychological distress."Use of correct pronouns in orders and judgements of the Court will affirm identities and challenge discriminatory attitudes, which, as your lordship will be well aware, is heightened when the subject of these attitudes is queer. The wrong pronouns in orders and judgements can disempower, demean, and reinforce exclusion.".He further suggest that law clerks who assist judges could be trained to check for queer inclusive language, as they might check for other matters of style and grammar. "In the long run, the lawyers who submit briefs to the Court should be instructed to use gender-inclusive techniques and eliminate the methods we were trained to use in law school," adds Bhatt..[Read Letter]