# Supreme Court: lawyers must be decent to opposite parties in court

2026-08-07T12:09:15+00:00 | Governance | Indian Opinion Desk

Corroboration: 1 independent outlet

The Supreme Court has held that a lawyer's duty to behave decently inside court premises extends not just to his own client but also to opposing lawyers and parties. A Bench of Justices Prashant Kumar Mishra and Shree Chandrashekhar was hearing an appeal by advocate Sudhendu Prakash Gautam, who was suspended for a year by the Bar Council of India for allegedly assaulting and threatening a litigant inside a Delhi labour court in 2005. The Bar Council of Delhi had initially dismissed the complaint because Gautam was not the complainant's own lawyer. The Supreme Court disagreed, saying indecent behaviour towards any party is misconduct. Noting the 21-year delay and lack of proper hearing, the court modified the suspension to a warning.

## Coverage

- barandbench.com <https://www.barandbench.com/news/lawyers-must-behave-decently-towards-opposite-parties-too-not-just-their-own-clients-supreme-court>
- livelaw.in <https://www.livelaw.in/supreme-court/lawyers-must-act-decently-not-only-with-own-clients-but-also-with-opposite-parties-supreme-court-544880>

Tags: Bar Council of India, court premises, decency, lawyers, professional misconduct, Supreme Court
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