Government officials, appearing in person before any judicial court or tribunal in connection with any case matter, should always come wearing proper formal dresses. An instruction to this effect has been issued to various heads of departments by the office of the Advocate General here.

“In fact, similar instructions had earlier been issued by the AG office regularly. But still there are certain unyielding officers, who turn up to the courts in informal and casual dresses only to be reprimanded by the judges in open courts,” said an Additional Government Advocate (AGA) on Friday.

Although there is no such standing instruction or any executive or judicial guideline in place, yet, it was imperative and expected that a government official while appearing in person in courts must wear sober and decent dress, the AGA said, urging the Babus to uphold the majesty of the courts.

Reports said that several Benches of the High Court have recently expressed oral displeasures over the unbecoming conduct of government officers appearing before them. On many occasions, the judges have severely criticised and warned the erring Babus over their poor dress sense.

On one occasion, an IAS officer had appeared in a court in jeans and ‘T’ shirt with sports shoes on; and he was asked by the court to go back and come again in proper dress. The officer was reprimanded by the court saying that the court did not summon him to play tennis in the courtroom.

On another occasion, an electrical Executive Engineer had appeared in a court wearing a bright-coloured striped half shirt.

The court threatened to send him to jail directly from the courtroom asking him if he thought he was summoned by the court to act in a movie or a album song.

But in each such unpleasant situation, the Government advocates present in the courtroom at that point in time always stepped in to protect the humiliated officer and immediately prompting the shamed official to seek an unconditional apology.