ORDER :

1. This Contempt Case is registered suo motu, under Section 15(1) of the Contempt of Courts Act, 1971 [for brevity ‘the Act’] read with Rule 7(i) of the Contempt of Courts (High Court of Kerala) Rules, 1971 [for brevity ‘the Rules’]. The letter dated 09.02.2023 written by Mrs. Justice Mary Joseph, to the Honourable the Chief Justice is regarding an incident that happened on 09.02.2023 in Court No. 2D, about the conduct of the respondent-Advocate Yashwant Shenoy in Court. When that letter was placed before the then Chief Justice on the administrative side, along with a ‘note’ of the Registrar General, the Chief Justice considered it expedient to place the matter before the Division Bench dealing with contempt matters. Accordingly, the Registrar General prepared the synopsis, statement of facts and a draft memo of charges, supported by an affidavit dated 27.02.2023. That petition was numbered as Contempt Case (Crl.) No. 2 of 2023 and listed before the Division Bench dealing with contempt matters, on 28.02.2023.

2. On 28.02.2023, the Division Bench issued notice to the respondent. By the order dated 28.02.2023, the Division Bench appointed under Rule 15 of the Rules Sr. Adv. V.P