Adish Aggarwala, the President of SCBA, informed the Delhi High Court today (29 Feb) that a two-month timeframe would be necessary as notices for the meeting would need to be dispatched to the approximately 20,000 members of the Bar association.
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NEW DELHI: Adish Aggarwala, President of the Supreme Court Bar Association (SCBA), provided assurance today (29 Feb) to the Delhi High Court that a general body meeting would be convened within two months to discuss amending SCBA rules, aiming to reserve at least two positions in the Executive Committee for women lawyers.
Aggarwala also conveyed that a two-month period would be necessary to organize the meeting, considering the need to notify the nearly 20,000 SCBA members.
In light of this statement, Justice Sudhir Kumar Jain today dismissed a plea brought forward by a female lawyer urging the Court to direct the SCBA to arrange such a meeting.
The petition was filed by advocate Yogamaya MG, who mentioned having previously written to Chief Justice of India (CJI) DY Chandrachud and the SCBA President, urging the convening of a general body meeting to address the issue.
The representation urged the SCBA to designate two members in the current Executive Committee and contemplate amendments to the SCBA rules to ensure a minimum of two positions for female executive members. However, no acknowledgment or response was received. Consequently, advocate Yogamaya petitioned the High Court to instruct the SCBA to call for a meeting.
In her petition, the lawyer emphasized that despite eleven women members participating in the 2023 Executive Committee member election, none were elected. The plea argued that the insufficient representation of women lawyers might perpetuate an environment where issues related to sexual harassment are inadequately addressed.
The petitioner asserted that when adequately represented, women lawyers can contribute to formulating and implementing policies and mechanisms to prevent and address instances of sexual harassment within the legal community. It was also contended that women’s perspectives are crucial for devising comprehensive strategies that resonate with the diverse experiences of all members.
On February 21, Justice Subramonium Prasad recused himself from hearing the plea due to his previous membership with the SCBA when he was a lawyer.
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