Orissa High Court Justice Savitri Ratho said, “I was stalked when I started practising law,” while speaking about the challenges faced by women lawyers. She shared the incident during a panel discussion on gender gaps in the judiciary at the Indian Women in Law conference held in the Supreme Court.
Orissa High Court Justice Savitri Ratho shared that she was stalked early in her legal career.
She recalled that the episode occurred soon after she began practicing law and was ultimately resolved with the assistance of her male colleagues at the Bar.
Describing those early days, Justice Ratho said she noticed a man repeatedly showing up wherever she was in court. The situation intensified when he even came to her chamber.
Justice Ratho said,
“I was stalked when I started practising. I felt he was always there in the court. My male colleagues helped me. Once he came to the chamber also but I pretended I did not see him. Of course, later he was beaten up,”
Speaking at the inaugural National Conference of Indian Women in Law, held at the Supreme Court and titled “Half the Nation, Half the Bench,” the judge reflected on both this personal episode and the obstacles she faced in being appointed to the Bench.
She said her name had been recommended by the Collegium twice for elevation, but both times the appointments were blocked by someone in charge of the helm of affairs who had issues with her family.
She also challenged the assumption that women invariably support one another professionally, noting that men played a crucial role in helping her early on.
She observed,
“People say women always help women. That is not correct. I was helped by men,”
Justice Ratho further commented on why some lawyers are reluctant to accept judgeships, pointing to the financial sacrifices involved. She said this was not a concern for her personally.
She quipped,
“Some hesitate because they give up flourishing careers. But I am single. I don’t have much expenses. Even now, I am not able to spend my salary,”
The discussion part of a wider conversation on gender imbalances in judicial appointments and measures to foster a more inclusive legal environment was titled “Bridge the Gap , Balance the Bench.”
The panel included Supreme Court Justices PS Narasimha and Vijay Bishnoi, former Chief Justice of India TS Thakur, Telangana High Court Justice Moushumi Bhattacharya and Chief Justice of Meghalaya High Court Revati Mohite Dere.
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