The Punjab & Haryana High Court sharply rebuked lawyers who used AI tools or Google on their mobile phones to answer questions posed during court hearings. The bench, led by Justice Sanjay Vashisth, considered such conduct unacceptable and temporarily seized one lawyer’s mobile device.
The Court said using a phone mid-argument reflects a discourteous and unprofessional attitude. It distinguished mobile phones from laptops or iPads, noting the latter are typically integrated with case files and office setups, while phones are not meant to be used in real-time court submissions.
When the Court posed a question to counsel, he immediately began to consult his phone to respond. The judge remarked that such information ought to have been collected in advance during case preparation.
This is not the first instance: the Court recalled a prior case where a mobile phone was similarly seized for courtroom use during arguments.
To prevent recurrence, the bench ordered that the judgment be circulated among Bar Association leadership so that members are warned against relying on mobile phones during court proceedings for AI or internet searches.
