The Supreme Court mandated 33% reservation for women lawyers in elections for the National Green Tribunal (NGT) Bar Association. A Bench of Justices Surya Kant and N Kotiswar Singh issued the directive to promote gender representation in the legal profession. The Court also allowed lawyer-members of the NGT Bar Association to vote without mandatory registration with the Bar Council of Delhi. This move highlights the judiciary’s commitment to ensuring inclusivity and equality in legal institutions.
New Delhi: The Supreme Court clarified that its directive requiring reservations for women lawyers in the executive committees of the Delhi High Court Bar Association (DHCBA) and various District Bar Associations in Delhi will also extend to the National Green Tribunal (NGT) Bar Association in Delhi.
A Bench consisting of Justices Surya Kant and N. Kotiswar Singh also granted an exemption from the requirement for lawyer-members of the NGT Bar Association to register with the Bar Council of Delhi in order to vote.
The Court stated,
“It is directed that the interim directions regarding earmarking the post of Treasurer and some members of the Executive Committee for women candidates in the High Court/District Bar Associations of NCT of Delhi shall apply mutatis mutandis to the NGT Bar Association as well. The necessary procedures shall be followed, and reservations for women candidates shall be provided in the elections of the NGT Bar Association,”
Additionally, since the NGT Bar Association comprises advocates registered with various Bar Councils across the country, the Bench ruled that its members would not need to enroll with the Bar Council of Delhi.
The Court added,
“It is further directed that the requirement for enrollment solely with the Delhi Bar Council shall not apply to the NGT Bar Association, as its members are advocates registered with various Bar Councils throughout the country,”
These directions issued while hearing two interlocutory applications that challenged a Delhi High Court order mandating that elections for all bar associations in the national capital be conducted simultaneously and on the same day.
In September 2023, the Supreme Court previously urged the DHCBA to reserve four out of ten Executive Committee (EC) posts for women. This directive was made while the Court considered two petitions one seeking the implementation of 33% reservation for women in all bar association elections across the national capital, and another specifically advocating for women’s reservation in the DHCBA.
The Supreme Court of India ordered that 33% of the positions in the Executive Committee of the National Green Tribunal (NGT) Bar Association in Delhi should be reserved for women lawyers. This decision extends a similar rule already in place for the Delhi High Court Bar Association and various District Bar Associations in Delhi to include the NGT Bar Association as well.