“Despite the progress in gender representation, there remains an urgent need to ensure that our judicial institutions are genuinely inclusive and accommodating for everyone,” the CJI stated.
KOLKATA: Recently, Chief Justice of India D Y Chandrachud emphasized the necessity for further advancement in achieving maximum gender representation within the legal profession, acknowledging the progress already made. He called upon the legal community to promote greater equality.
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At the Calcutta High Court event, Justice Chandrachud shared an experience from his time as a judge in the Allahabad High Court. He observed that when a bar member died, the entire day’s court work would stop, and a leave was granted. He questioned whether it was justifiable for society to suffer because of one bar member’s death.
The CJI highlighted that in several states, women constitute over 60 percent of recruits in the competitive examinations for the lowest level of judicial service.
“This reflects the social evolution occurring in India,” he noted during the bicentenary celebration of the Bar Library Club at Calcutta High Court.
“Despite the progress in gender representation, there remains an urgent need to ensure that our judicial institutions are genuinely inclusive and accommodating for everyone,” the CJI stated.
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The Chief Justice of India remarked that in various states, over 60% of new recruits in competitive examinations for the lowest judicial service level are now women, highlighting India’s evolving social landscape.
“But while progress is being made in terms of gender representation, there remains a pressing need to ensure that our judicial institutions are truly inclusive and accommodating for all,” the CJI said.
He said that despite the presence of female lawyers, amenities and facilities catering to their specific needs are “sorely lacking”.
Women often have multifaceted identities – balancing household tasks and child-rearing responsibilities alongside their professional careers, he said.
Speaking at the bicentenary celebration of the Bar Library Club of the Calcutta High Court, he emphasized the need for judicial institutions to become more inclusive and accommodating for all, despite advancements in gender representation.
He pointed out that facilities tailored to the needs of female lawyers are still insufficient, acknowledging the multifaceted identities of women who balance professional careers with household and caregiving responsibilities.
“The expectation that women shoulder dual roles as caregivers and as professionals, highlights the need for supportive policies and environment within our legal institutions,” he said.
The Chief Justice noted the introduction of affordable meals at Rs 25 for Supreme Court staff, particularly benefiting the over 2,000 women who work there and often lack time for morning cooking.
“A small initiative like this makes such a big difference to the empowerment of women,” he said.
He urged the legal fraternity to build on such initiatives, ensuring they translate into meaningful actions that promote equitable treatment for women and enhance diversity within the legal system.
Reflecting on the judiciary’s 75-year history, he highlighted the recent designation of 12 women as senior counsels, underscoring the importance of professional ethics and efficiency in delivering timely justice.
The Chief Justice also addressed concerns about frequent adjournments in court proceedings, emphasizing their detrimental effects on litigants and public trust in the legal system. He called for adapting legal traditions to modern societal demands and embracing technological advancements to improve efficiency in legal practice.
Referring to the popular Hindi film ‘Jolly LLB’, he mentioned how the protagonist navigated courtroom dynamics and witnessed another advocate manipulating evidence to favor a wealthy client.
“This fictional portrayal vividly reflects real-world concerns where professionalism and ethical standards are sometimes compromised affecting the credibility of legal proceedings,” he said.
He suggested that traditions within the legal fraternity could be adjusted to show respect while also aligning with the evolving demands of modern society.
“Every minute of judicial time which is lost is judicial time lost in answering a case of a litigant who is crying for justice,” he said.
Supreme Court judges Justice B R Gavai and Justice Dipankar Dutta, along with Chief Justice T S Sivagnanam of the Calcutta High Court, were among those present at the event.
