Supreme Court lifts black coat requirement in subordinate courts

The Supreme Court has made changes to the dress code for judges and lawyers in subordinate courts and tribunals of the country. The new directive states that from July 1, judges and lawyers will not have to wear black coats until further orders.

A notification in this regard was issued by the Judicial Branch of the High Court Division on Tuesday. The notification was signed by Supreme Court Registrar General Muhammad Habibur Rahman Siddiqui on the instructions of the Chief Justice.

According to the new directive, judges of subordinate civil and criminal courts and tribunals will have to wear gowns. Along with this, they will have to wear white full shirts, or white sarees or salwar-kameez and white neck bands if necessary. But wearing black coats will no longer be mandatory for them.

Similar changes have been made to the dress code for lawyers, although the rest of the previous rules remain unchanged. They will wear a white full shirt, or white saree or salwar-kameez with a white neck band or black tie. However, wearing a black coat and gown is no longer mandatory for them.

The notification said that this instruction will come into effect from July 1, 2026, and will remain in force until further orders. All the district and sessions judges, metropolitan sessions judges, various special tribunals, administrative tribunals and labor courts, including all the judicial institutions concerned, have been instructed to take necessary measures to implement this rule.