A lawyer has filed a public interest litigation in the Bombay High Court challenging the ban on carrying mobile phones inside court rooms..ToI has reported that the petition has been filed by one Vinod Gangwal challenging the February 13 notice issued by the Bombay High Court..By way of the said notice the High Court had barred mobile phones, cameras and other audio and video recording devices inside the court rooms. The ban is applicable to litigants and public at large including the media. Lawyers are, however, exempted..“All the parties/litigants and public at large are hereby informed that they shall not take mobile phones, cameras or audio/video recording devices and shall not record anything using them inside the Court Halls. These articles should not at all be brought inside the Court Halls and the person may make his own arrangement for its safe keeping, for which the High Court Administration does not take any responsibility.”.The notice also states that the court could move against defaulters by imposing fines, confiscating the devices and they could also be held liable for contempt of court..“The defaulters will be liable for confiscation of such device and/ or fine as may be determined by the Court and in addition, will also be liable for an action under Contempt of Courts Act, 1971 as well as such other penal action.”.Challenging this notice, Gangwal has contended that the notice does not mention anything about the Rules or law under which it has been issued..Apart from that, he has submitted that the notice is discriminatory since lawyers and judges are allowed to carry their mobile phones but general public is not. Gangwal has submitted that the same is also arbitrary since party-in-person, litigants and media are not allowed to carry their phones inside and it affects their fundamental rights..Gangwal will mention the case tomorrow before the Chief Justice..The Supreme Court of India has a similar ban in place as only lawyers are allowed to carry their mobile phones inside court rooms..Read the notice issued by Bombay High Court below.
A lawyer has filed a public interest litigation in the Bombay High Court challenging the ban on carrying mobile phones inside court rooms..ToI has reported that the petition has been filed by one Vinod Gangwal challenging the February 13 notice issued by the Bombay High Court..By way of the said notice the High Court had barred mobile phones, cameras and other audio and video recording devices inside the court rooms. The ban is applicable to litigants and public at large including the media. Lawyers are, however, exempted..“All the parties/litigants and public at large are hereby informed that they shall not take mobile phones, cameras or audio/video recording devices and shall not record anything using them inside the Court Halls. These articles should not at all be brought inside the Court Halls and the person may make his own arrangement for its safe keeping, for which the High Court Administration does not take any responsibility.”.The notice also states that the court could move against defaulters by imposing fines, confiscating the devices and they could also be held liable for contempt of court..“The defaulters will be liable for confiscation of such device and/ or fine as may be determined by the Court and in addition, will also be liable for an action under Contempt of Courts Act, 1971 as well as such other penal action.”.Challenging this notice, Gangwal has contended that the notice does not mention anything about the Rules or law under which it has been issued..Apart from that, he has submitted that the notice is discriminatory since lawyers and judges are allowed to carry their mobile phones but general public is not. Gangwal has submitted that the same is also arbitrary since party-in-person, litigants and media are not allowed to carry their phones inside and it affects their fundamental rights..Gangwal will mention the case tomorrow before the Chief Justice..The Supreme Court of India has a similar ban in place as only lawyers are allowed to carry their mobile phones inside court rooms..Read the notice issued by Bombay High Court below.
