The District and Sessions Judge of the Surat Court has recently imposed a complete ban on the use of mobile phones by court staff during working hours.
A circular issued on May 15 stated that employees working within the court building and other branches must surrender their phones to the court registrar or their department heads during office hours.
The circular referenced a letter from the High Court, noting that a prior warning had been issued against staff using phones during working hours in the Surat District Court and its subordinate courts.
While the use of phones for office work and special circumstances was exempted from this prohibition, some employees were still found using their phones during office hours, disrupting court proceedings and affecting work quality.
As a result, the district judge issued a directive requiring court staff to hand over their phones during working hours.
The responsibility for enforcing this ban falls on the court registrars and branch heads. Additionally, presiding officers of the courts are tasked with ensuring that staff strictly comply with the circular’s instructions.
