Phones at court premises

Last week when I entered the Chief Magistrate’s Court compound, a policeman checked me physically and said mobile phone would not be allowed to be taken in. He said the order has come into effect from 2019.This pushes a person into a very difficult situation and where one can keep it?

We know that if a phone rings inside a courtroom it would be an offence and relevant punishment would be given. From this year, if necessary, the punishment could be doubled for such an offence. But why insist not to take the phone inside any part of the court premises?

This is practically a difficult prohibition. Because, if a need arises for one to contact a relative, a lawyer or an important person in regard to one’s case, how would one do it? Especially to a lawyer, who would be rushing from one court to another to contact his/her client? Or from someone to give a message of a serious matter like sickness, fire or accident? As onehas to be inside the court premises for sevaral hours.

Therefore, it is suggested that the authority concerned would consider this situation and allow a mobile phone to be in one’s possession with necessary advice displayed at the entrance of the main gate itself.

However, if it is compulsory that phones could not be allowed for reasons not known to the visitors or clients, then a counter should be opened at the entrance of the respective court to leave the phones. For this purpose, it is not suggested that recruitment should be done by the authority to be at the counter. Anyone could be allowed for this so-called self-employment providing a counter after a police clearance document. Charging a very reasonable amount to safe keep phones or helmets of people, providing a token for the items retained, is reasonable and certainly someone who mans the counter, and I am sure he/she will have a good income!

NAZLY CASSIM