Overview

• During a June 11 hearing in New Delhi, Justices S V N Bhatti and P B Varale reprimanded a lawyer who walked away as the bench began dictating an order
• The court noted that reading cases accounts for only 30% of practice while courtroom etiquette and procedure make up the remaining 70%
• Justices Bhatti and Varale described the incident as evidence of a generational divide in willingness to master “court craft”
• The bench stressed that proficiency in courtroom procedures underpins professional conduct and effective advocacy
• The Supreme Court’s remarks reflect wider concern about preserving standards and mentoring within the legal profession