Man appears before Kerala High Court virtual hearing from bathroom while shaving/brushing

Since courts across started hearing cases virtually due to the Covid-19 pandemic, incidents of unfortunate faux pas and etiquette among lawyers and litigants appearing via various video conferencing platforms have been plenty..Earlier today the Kerala High Court, which reverted to complete online hearing as on Monday, witnessed a man either brushing his teeth or shaving, often facing the camera, during proceedings before Justice VG Arun. The video shows the man who seems to have just woken up, walking back and forth in what appears to be a washroom with a wash-basin and rather meticulously shaving his face or brushing his teeth. .Justice Arun did not seem to have noticed the incident but a video of the same was shared widely and quickly across social media. .Engaging in such activities, even unknowingly, during any video call, is inappropriate behavior and various such instances have been caught in camera . On December 21, 2021, the Madras High Court initiated contempt of court proceedings against a lawyer, RD Santhana Krishnan, after he was seen in a compromising position with a woman during Court proceedings being held via video conference.Less than a month prior, Senior Advocate Indira Jaising announced via Twitter that she would be filing a contempt of court case and sexual harassment complaint against a man who allegedly appeared semi-naked during a virtual hearing before the Karnataka High Court..Lawyers and parties appearing in inappropriate attires are some of the earliest reported incidents of infraction of the decorum expected in Courts, both virtual and physical. As early as in April 2020 a lawyer appeared before the the Rajasthan High court in a vest to argue online, which was followed by the the Delhi High Court imposing a fine of ₹10,000 on a man who appeared for a virtual hearing in his vest. In June 2020, an advocate appeared for a hearing before the Supreme Court while lying on his bed, wearing a t-shirt. .In August 2020, a lawyer was seen chewing gutka during a virtual hearing before the Supreme Court. When the Bench pulled him up, the counsel could only muster a meek "sorry".In another virtual hearing before the top court, Senior Advocate Rajeev Dhavan was seen not so subtly smoking his hookah.The Gujarat High Court in September 2020 imposed costs on an accused who was spotted "spitting" on camera during a virtual hearing..The Courts have also pulled up lawyers for appearing via video conference while riding a scooter and from inside their car..Another noteworthy incident was when a fan managed to access the virtual hearing before the Delhi High Court in the case filed by actress Juhi Chawla challenging the roll out of 5G technology. The unidentified youth started singing songs from Chawla's movies while the hearing was in progress..Another issue plaguing the Courts recently seem to be disruptions caused due to lawyers using unstable internet connections or devices without a functioning camera. On Monday, the Supreme Court issued a notice urging lawyers and in-person petitioners to join virtual hearing before the top court via laptop/ desktop with a stable internet and connection and to avoid using mobile phones for the same..From appearing in T-shirt/ vest to having sex: Virtual hearing gaffes in Indian courts.Follow Bar and Bench channel on WhatsAppDownload the Bar and Bench Mobile app for instant access to the latest legal news.