The Supreme Court reaffirmed support for women’s reservation in Bar Council elections, with the CJI urging focus on progressive reforms. The Bar Council of India confirmed its commitment to promoting gender representation and correcting any earlier misconceptions.
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NEW DELHI: The debate over women’s reservation in Bar Council elections took a crucial turn as the Supreme Court acknowledged the Bar Council of India’s (BCI) supportive and progressive stance on the issue. During the hearing, Chief Justice of India (CJI) emphasized that the Court’s message will be clear, women’s representation in the legal profession must be strengthened, and the BCI’s position will be duly recognized.
BCI Chairman Manan Kumar Mishra informed the Court that an interim application had been filed in response to recent discussions on women’s reservation. He noted that
“a few women lawyers had held a press conference, allegedly making statements that “tarnished the reputation” of several State Bar Councils.”
However, the CJI advised the BCI not to focus on such remarks.
“Don’t pay attention to such comments. Even among women lawyers, there may be some who do not support this progressive measure,”
the CJI observed, highlighting that differing opinions should not derail reform.
Responding to the Court, Manan Kumar reiterated that the BCI fully respects the Supreme Court’s views and stands firmly in favour of women’s reservation. He added that if any wrong impression had been created earlier, corrective steps would now be taken.
“We fully respect the Court’s sentiments and stand in support of the reservation. If any wrong impression was created earlier, it will now be corrected,”
he assured.
The Chief Justice stated that the final message to the public and the legal fraternity would either come directly from the Bench or be conveyed through the BCI. What matters, the Court stressed, is that the order reflects the BCI’s progressive approach toward improving gender representation in Bar Council elections.
“What matters is that the Court acknowledges the BCI’s progressive stance, and this is reflected in the order,”
the CJI concluded.
Earlier Development
In an earlier hearing, the Supreme Court examined a petition seeking 30% reservation for women in State Bar Council elections, highlighting the urgent need to improve gender representation in the legal profession. The Court discussed a dual mechanism, 20% reservation through elections and 10% through co-option, to ensure practising women lawyers receive meaningful representation.
Senior advocates informed the bench that elections in four State Bar Councils had already begun, with several states supporting the proposal. The CJI emphasised that “there should be no compromise on 30% reservation,” noting that women who do not contest elections can still be co-opted based on merit. Concerns regarding states with zero women’s representation and the gap between registered and practising women lawyers were also raised.
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Since elections were already notified in some states, the Court indicated that immediate implementation might not be feasible for those councils. It directed the submission of a formal co-option proposal and clarified that even where women are contesting, co-option must continue to ensure the full 30% quota is achieved.
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