On Lawyer’s ‘Yeah’ Expression, Chief Justice Chandrachud’s ‘Coffee Shop’ Rebuke

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Chief Justice of India DY Chandrachud today admonished a lawyer for using informal language during court proceedings. The lawyer, while addressing the Supreme Court, used the term ‘yeah’, prompting a sharp response from the Chief Justice. The CJI said that he is ‘allergic’ to this expression. 

 “This is not a coffee shop,” Chandrachud remarked, adding the need for maintaining decorum in the courtroom. 

The incident occurred during a hearing on a 2018 petition, where the Chief Justice of India DY Chandrachud raised concerns over the inclusion of former Chief Justice Ranjan Gogoi as a respondent. The Chief Justice questioned the appropriateness of the petition, pointing out potential issues with its compatibility with Article 32 of the Constitution, which provides citizens the right to seek legal remedies for violations of their fundamental rights. 

As the proceeding progressed, The lawyer began to say, "Yeah, yeah, the then CJI Ranjan Gogoi... I was asked to file a curative..." but was abruptly interrupted by Chief Justice DY Chandrachud. 

The lawyer’s informal expression seemed to detracted from the seriousness of his arguments, prompting Chief Justice DY Chandrachud to issue a firm rebuke. “This is not a coffee shop! What is this ‘yeah yeah’?” remarked Chief Justice Chandrachud. 

The lawyer argued that his plea was dismissed by Justice Ranjan Gogoi based on a statement he had contested as illegal. He claimed to have requested then-CJI Thakur to assign his review plea to a bench familiar with labor laws, but it was still dismissed. Chief Justice DY Chandrachud, addressing the lawyer in Marathi, advised him that a judge cannot be impugned when challenging a high court judgment. 

The Chief Justice further directed the court registry to review the petition and instructed the lawyer to remove Justice Gogoi’s name, who is now a Rajya Sabha MP, from the case.