LHC: No mobile phones allowed in courtrooms

LAHORE:

Notices banning lawyers and litigants from bringing mobile phones to court have been pasted at the entrances of most of the Lahore High Court courtrooms. 

The high court administration said lawyers and litigants will be searched to ensure no one brings a phone to a courtroom.

The ban was imposed following the arrest of a man on Thursday for taking photographs of portraits of former judges displayed in the courtroom of Chief Justice Umar Ata Bandial.

The use of mobile phones in court rooms is already banned. Court staff confiscates a phone if it rings. It is returned only after the violator pays a fine. Usually violators are fined Rs1,000 but in some cases, the fine imposed has been as high as Rs5,000.

Lahore High Court Bar Association Secretary Akbar Ali said the bar would ask lawyers not to take mobile phones to courtrooms. Although most of the lawyers oppose the ban, he said, the bar will try to convince them to cooperate with the LHC administration.  “Lawyers respect court orders and will follow them,” Ali said.

Published in The Express Tribune, August 25^th, 2012.