Chief Justice of India Surya Kant said that while more women are joining the legal profession, very few are able to continue and grow due to discrimination in work allocation, briefing, and empanelment. He suggested 50% representation for women in government panels and called for institutional support like maternity protection and financial assistance.
Supreme Court Justice N Kotiswar Singh said judges are suffering from high blood pressure and health issues due to extreme work pressure and stress. He also highlighted the poor working conditions of district court judges and the pressure they face while handling cases.
Supreme Court Justice Dipankar Datta said the Collegium did not always protect judges who showed courage and integrity in the past. He warned that lack of protection may discourage judges from choosing ethics over career growth.
Supreme Court Justice Manmohan said High Court judges cannot work independently if they are under constant fear of transfers. He called for a detailed review of the collegium system and raised concerns over government litigation and panel lawyer appointments.
Supreme Court Justice BV Nagarathna said judges use court vacations to write judgments and work late into the night due to heavy case workload. She also stated that the government is the biggest litigator and a major reason behind judicial backlog in India.
