New Delhi: The Supreme Court on Thursday asked the Bar Council of India (BCI) to ensure 30 per cent reservation for women in the upcoming state bar council elections.
The top court, while hearing a petition seeking mandatory women’s representation in state bar councils, was told by the apex bar body BCI that implementing such reservation would require amendments to the Advocates Act.
Moreover, several state bar council election processes have already commenced, making immediate changes difficult, senior advocate Gurukumar, appearing for the BCI, told a bench comprising Chief Justice Surya Kant and Justice Joymalya Bagchi.
“We expect that the BCI will construe the rules in such a manner that it will ensure 30 percent reservation in State Bar Councils; such a position should also be available for some posts of office bearers,” CJI Kant said.
When the lawyer for the BCI expressed uncertainty on whether sufficient number of women lawyers would contest, the bench referred to a workshop held by the Supreme Court Bar Association based on a survey among women lawyers.
“You were not there in yesterday’s workshop. 83 per cent of the women want to be members in the SCBA,” the CJI said.
The bench was hearing pleas filed by Yogamaya MG and Shehla Chaudhary seeking reservation of one-third of seats for women in all state bar councils.
They also sought that at least one office-bearer post, on a rotational basis, be reserved for women lawyers.
The pleas have been filed relying upon the May 2, 2024 order of the top court in which it was directed that one-third of seats in the executive committee of the Supreme Court Bar Association, including one office-bearer post, be reserved for women.
