Women Representation in Judiciary
The Chief Justice of India, Justice Surya Kant, emphasized the importance of greater representation of women in the judiciary for equitable opportunities, highlighting it is not a matter of preference but fairness.
- Justice Kant spoke at the national conference titled “Bridging the Bench Gap: Women and Judicial Leadership”.
- He stressed the judiciary's role in inspiring confidence among India's female population, approximately 650 million.
- The conference was organized by Indian Women in Law (iWiL) at the Supreme Court's Additional Building Complex in New Delhi.
Key Points from Justice Surya Kant's Speech
- Women bring unique insights to the judiciary, informed by their experiences in various facets of life.
- High Court collegiums are urged to take steps to enhance women's representation.
- He proposed expanding the pool of candidates to include women advocates from the Supreme Court belonging to particular states.
- Institutional measures should include reserving at least 30% of seats in State Bar Councils for women.
Challenges Highlighted by Other Speakers
- Justice B V Nagarathna noted the challenge is retaining women in the profession long enough for their elevation.
- Structural barriers within and outside the profession cause women's attrition.
- Justice Ujjal Bhuyan stated that objective selection processes lead to significant female participation in the profession.
Concerns Regarding Representation
- Justice Hima Kohli pointed out the lack of women judges elevated to the Supreme Court since 2021.
- She questioned the message sent by the absence of women in recent appointments.
Institutional Recognition of Talent
- Justice P S Narasimha remarked that the problem lies in the recognition and identification of talent, not its availability.
Conference Attendees
- The event was attended by top court judges including Justices N Kotiswar Singh and Dipankar Dutta.
- Various women judges from high courts, such as Justice Meenakshi Madan Rai and Justice Revati Mohite Dere, participated.
