Easily done
A Brazilian judge has discovered first-hand the perils of working from home during the lockdown when he appeared shirtless during a video conference call with colleagues on Zoom.
Judge Carmo Antonio de Souza, a magistrate in the Brazilian state of Amapá, unknowingly rocked up bare-chested to the online meeting with his fellow judges on April 7, according to multiple reports.
Drinking from a glass, Souza can be seen alongside four of his more formally dressed counterparts in screenshots of the incident circulating online.
The 52-year-old judge initially raises the camera to show just his face before calmly moving out of shot and returning a short time later wearing a shirt and tie.
The court is said to have looked into the incident and cleared Souza of any wrongdoing.
A statement from Amapá State Court of Justice read:
“The occurrence of incidents such as what happened is perfectly understandable. The moment experienced by the world requires dedication from everyone to solutions for maintaining essential services, such as the measures adopted by the Brazilian Justice, respect for the guidelines of health authorities and, above all, indulgence, compassion and commitment to the common good, thus avoiding the proliferation of fake news and distorted information, which in no way contribute to facing and overcoming the pandemic.”
News of the incident comes just days after a judge in the US urged lawyers to brush up on their Zoom etiquette.
“We’ve seen many lawyers in casual shirts and blouses, with no concern for ill-grooming, in bedrooms with the master bed in the background, etc”, wrote judge Dennis Bailey in an open letter to his local bar association. “One male lawyer appeared shirtless and one female attorney appeared still in bed, still under the covers.”