Bar Council of India v. High Court of Andhra Pradesh -Judiciary - Bar and Bench

Judiciary - Bar and Bench - The members of the Judiciary at all levels ought to exhibit patience, compassion and a spirit of encouragement, particularly towards young entrants to the legal profession. The present juncture necessitates that young law graduates emerging from a wide variety of institutions are encouraged to join the Bar, especially at the level of the Trial and District Courts, so as to imbibe the foundational principles of legal practice -While it is certainly the solemn duty of the senior members of the Bar to inculcate in young advocates ethical values, discipline, professional commitment, and a habit of continuous learning, the responsibility does not rest with the Bar alone. The Bench is equally entrusted with the obligation of nurturing a robust and ethical legal profession, one that fosters competence, integrity and a sense of duty, so that every young lawyer is guided to first recognise their role as an officer of the Court, and thereafter as representative of a cause. [Context: The Supreme Court entertained writ petitions based on communications from the Supreme Court Bar Association and the Bar Council of India regarding an incident in the Andhra Pradesh High Court where a judge, during an exchange with a young lawyer, orally indicated that the advocate be taken into custody for 24 hours, and a truncated video of the exchange went viral on social media.After obtaining a detailed report from the Chief Justice of the Andhra Pradesh High Court, which showed that the incident arose from a misunderstanding, had been amicably resolved, did not result in any executable judicial order, and that the young advocate expressed no fear in continuing practice, the Supreme Court held that no further action was warranted and disposed of the petitions. ]

Court Proceedings - Media and Social Media - The dissemination of decontextualised video clips, without presenting the full background in which certain expressions may have been made, has the potential to cause unwarranted prejudice to institutions as well as to the administration of justice. Media as well as social media users expected to play a very proactive role and act with a heightened sense of responsibility to appreciate the need to discharge their obligation in a manner that is fair, balanced and conducive to the larger public interest, in collaboration with bar and bench. (Para 16-17)