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Summer Dress Code Relaxation for Lawyers: Are Black Coats Optional?
The traditional black coat has long been associated with advocates appearing before courts in India. However, the intense summer heat has periodically raised questions about whether lawyers are required to wear black coats during court proceedings.
The answer depends on the applicable Bar Council rules, the level of court and any current notification or direction applicable to the particular court or jurisdiction.
The Bar Council of India Rules prescribe the professional dress of advocates. At the same time, the rules contain a specific summer relaxation concerning the wearing of black coats in courts other than the Supreme Court and High Courts. The Delhi High Court has also been the subject of litigation and administrative directions concerning advocates' professional attire.
Why Is There a Summer Relaxation for Lawyers?
India experiences significant seasonal variations, and courtrooms in different parts of the country may have very different levels of ventilation, cooling and infrastructure.
The issue becomes particularly relevant when advocates have to move between multiple courtrooms or remain in court for extended periods.
The underlying purpose of the summer relaxation is connected with the practical difficulty of wearing heavy black coats in high temperatures. A 2023 Delhi High Court judgment examined the BCI dress rules and clarified the distinction between the general professional dress requirements and the summer relaxation relating to black coats.
What Do the BCI Dress Rules Say?
The Bar Council of India Rules prescribe the form of dress or robes to be worn by advocates appearing before courts, tribunals and authorities.
For advocates, the prescribed dress includes options such as a black buttoned-up coat, chapkan, achkan or black sherwani with white bands and an advocate's gown, or a black open-breast coat with a white shirt, collar and white bands with the gown. The rules also contain provisions for women advocates.
However, the rules distinguish the Supreme Court and High Courts from other courts for purposes of the summer relaxation.
This distinction is important because the phrase “black coat is optional in summer” should not be understood as a blanket exemption applicable to every court in India.
Is the Black Coat Optional During Summer?
For courts other than the Supreme Court and High Courts, the BCI dress rules contain a summer relaxation under which wearing the black coat is not mandatory.
The Delhi High Court examined this provision in Hardik Kapoor v. Bar Council of India & Ors. and explained that the summer provision is a relaxation concerning the black coat. The judgment also clarified that the relaxation should not be interpreted as removing the requirement to wear the prescribed white bands when appearing as an advocate.
Therefore, advocates should distinguish between:
The black coat;
White shirt and prescribed trousers;
White bands;
Advocate's gown; and
Any specific local court or Bar Association directions.
The summer relaxation concerns the black coat; it does not automatically mean that all elements of professional court dress disappear.
Does the Relaxation Apply in the Supreme Court?
The summer relaxation for black coats should not be treated as applying to the Supreme Court in the same way as it applies to subordinate courts.
The BCI rule specifically distinguishes the Supreme Court and High Courts from other courts. The Delhi High Court judgment also considered this distinction when interpreting the summer dress provisions.
Accordingly, an advocate appearing before the Supreme Court should follow the dress requirements applicable there rather than assuming that a general district-court summer relaxation applies.
What About High Courts?
High Courts also have a distinct position under the BCI dress framework.
The rules do not make the summer black-coat relaxation applicable to High Courts in the same manner as subordinate courts. However, High Courts have at different times issued administrative directions concerning gowns or other aspects of court attire.
For example, the Delhi High Court has historically issued summer-related directions concerning gowns. Such directions should be checked for the relevant period rather than relying on an old circular.
Therefore, advocates appearing before a High Court should verify the current court-specific directions.
Delhi District Courts and Summer Dress Rules
The issue has particular practical importance in Delhi because advocates regularly appear before several district court complexes.
In May 2025, the Delhi Bar Association announced that advocates were exempt from wearing black coats from May 16 to September 30 when appearing in courts subordinate to the Delhi High Court. The announcement advised advocates to continue following the other requirements of the prescribed dress code. District and Sessions Judges of various Delhi court complexes were reportedly informed of the decision.
This illustrates an important point: a general rule and a particular year's local implementation may not necessarily use the same dates.
Advocates should therefore verify the current notification before relying on a particular summer period.
Does Not Wearing a Black Coat Mean Casual Dress Is Allowed?
No.
A summer relaxation of the black coat should not be confused with permission to appear in informal clothing.
Professional court attire remains important. The Delhi High Court's 2023 judgment specifically considered the distinction between removing the black coat because of summer conditions and changing the overall professional dress of advocates.
An advocate should continue to follow the applicable requirements concerning shirts, trousers, bands, collars and other prescribed attire.
The objective is a limited relaxation from the black coat, not a general relaxation from professional court dress.
What Should Male Advocates Wear During the Relaxation?
Where the applicable summer exemption permits advocates to appear without a black coat, the remaining prescribed dress requirements should still be followed.
The Delhi High Court judgment explained that, in courts other than the Supreme Court and High Courts, advocates may appear during summer without the black coat while continuing with the relevant professional attire, including white bands.
Depending on the applicable rules and notification, the usual combination can include:
White shirt;
Prescribed trousers;
White advocate's bands;
Other required professional attire.
Advocates should check the current local direction before appearing because implementation can vary.
What Should Women Advocates Wear?
The BCI Rules separately prescribe dress options for women advocates.
These include specified black jackets or blouses with white collars and bands, as well as certain sarees, long skirts or other permitted traditional dress combinations with the prescribed professional elements.
Where a summer relaxation concerns the black coat, women advocates should check the precise wording of the applicable notification and continue to comply with the remaining professional dress requirements.
The fact that a black coat may not be mandatory in a particular subordinate court during summer does not mean that every form of casual clothing becomes acceptable.
Can a Bar Association Announce a Specific Summer Period?
Local Bar Associations may issue communications concerning implementation of the applicable dress rules for their members.
The 2025 Delhi Bar Association announcement is an example of a local summer exemption with specified dates. It applied to courts subordinate to the Delhi High Court and advised members to follow the remaining dress requirements.
Because summer dates can differ between jurisdictions and years, advocates should not assume that an exemption announced in one State, district or year automatically applies elsewhere.
Why Do Summer Dates Differ Across India?
India has different climatic conditions across regions. Courts and Bar Councils have therefore issued summer-related dress relaxations with different periods.
For example, reporting in 2024 noted that different Bar Councils and High Courts had announced different approaches to summer dress requirements. Some relaxations covered particular months or particular levels of courts.
This makes it important to distinguish between:
The underlying BCI dress rules;
Court-specific directions;
State Bar Council or Bar Association communications; and
Temporary or annual summer notifications.
What Happened With the Supreme Court Challenge?
The question of removing the black coat requirement during summer has also reached the Supreme Court.
In 2024, a three-judge bench of the Supreme Court declined to entertain a plea seeking broader directions concerning exemption from wearing black coats during summer. Reporting on the proceedings noted that the Court emphasized the importance of maintaining court decorum.
This is relevant because it demonstrates that the issue of professional attire is not simply a matter of individual preference. Court dress is connected with prescribed professional standards and judicial decorum.
What Should an Advocate Check Before Appearing in Summer?
Before appearing without a black coat, an advocate should verify:
The level of court where the matter is listed.
The current BCI dress requirements.
Any High Court notification.
Any State Bar Council direction.
Any local Bar Association circular.
Whether the relaxation applies to that particular court.
The exact dates covered by the exemption.
Whether white bands and other professional attire remain mandatory.
This is particularly important where an advocate is appearing before multiple courts on the same day.
Is the Summer Relaxation Permanent?
The existence of a summer relaxation in the applicable rules does not mean that every annual notification will have identical dates or wording.
Local administrative directions may specify the period during which advocates may appear without black coats. Therefore, advocates should rely on the current notification applicable to the court rather than assuming that a previous year's dates remain unchanged.
Conclusion
The black coat worn by advocates is part of India's formal professional court dress, but the rules recognize a summer relaxation for courts other than the Supreme Court and High Courts.
The Delhi High Court's interpretation makes clear that the summer relaxation concerns the black coat and does not amount to a general abandonment of professional court attire. White bands and other prescribed elements continue to be relevant.
The practical dates and implementation can depend on current court, Bar Council or Bar Association directions. The 2025 Delhi Bar Association announcement, for example, permitted advocates appearing in courts subordinate to the Delhi High Court to appear without black coats from May 16 to September 30 while advising adherence to the remaining dress rules.
Therefore, advocates should always check the latest applicable notification before appearing in court without a black coat, particularly when appearing before the Supreme Court or a High Court.
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This article is provided for general informational purposes and does not constitute legal advice or create an advocate-client relationship.