The Supreme Court on Friday expressed concern over the declining emphasis on traditional training, courtroom etiquette and professional decorum among young lawyers, stressing that the finer aspects of advocacy are best learnt by working under experienced members of the Bar.
A Bench of Justice BV Nagarathna and Justice AG Masih made the observations while hearing a plea filed by Puja Entertainment India Ltd challenging a Bombay High Court order in a copyright dispute concerning the Hindi film Hai Jawani Toh Ishq Hona Hai.
The Court’s remarks came after a young counsel appearing for one of the respondents strongly interrupted submissions being made by senior counsel for Puja Entertainment and described them as “absolutely wrong.”
Justice Nagarathna advised the young lawyer to exercise restraint and maintain professional courtroom etiquette, reminding him that he should know when to speak and noting that calling a senior counsel’s arguments “very wrong” was inappropriate when no adverse order had been passed against him.
The Bench emphasized that young lawyers should undergo training under senior advocates before setting up independent practices, remarking that starting out without such mentorship prevents them from learning essential advocacy skills and the practical tricks of the trade. It further stressed that professional skills extend beyond legal knowledge.
The Bench expressed concern over the future of the Bar, noting that while young lawyers today are ambitious, they often lack soft skills that can only be learned by training under seniors every day.
Justice Nagarathna also recalled her own early years in practice, when young lawyers would spend time observing proceedings before different judges as part of their professional training.
She said that sitting through matters before “tough judges” helped young practitioners understand courtroom dynamics and learn how to respond effectively during hearings.
The observations were made in the course of the copyright dispute over the songs Chunnari Chunnari and Ishq Sona Hai. Puja Entertainment had sought an urgent stay on the release of the TIPS Industries-produced film.
The Bombay High Court had declined to grant interim relief, noting that Puja Entertainment had earlier initiated similar proceedings before a civil court in Bihar, raising concerns regarding forum shopping.
Before the Supreme Court, the Bench noted that the relevant interim applications were still pending before the High Court. It consequently closed the petition before it and directed the High Court to consider and decide the pending applications as expeditiously as possible.
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