Supreme Court Urges Consideration for Women's Reservation in Delhi High Court Bar Association Posts
The Supreme Court has recommended that the Delhi High Court Bar Association reserve key positions for women members, including Treasurer. The court was hearing petitions that advocate for increased representation of women in bar associations. The General Body will likely discuss this in a future meeting.
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The Supreme Court on Thursday recommended reserving certain posts for women within the Delhi High Court Bar Association (DHCBA). This move was suggested by a bench comprising Justices Surya Kant, Dipankar Datta, and Ujjal Bhuyan while addressing a plea demanding women's reservation in the association.
The top court directed the DHCBA to conduct a meeting to discuss the possibility of reserving the post of Treasurer specifically for female members. In addition to this, the General Body may also consider reserving one more position for women within the association.
The court was addressing two petitions filed by advocates Aditi Chaudhary and Shobha Gupta, which challenged the Delhi High Court's September 11, 2024 order that refused to grant interim relief for women's representation. Senior Advocate Meenakshi Arora represented the petitioners, along with a team of advocates.
The Delhi High Court had earlier declined interim relief and adjourned the matter to November 27, 2024. With elections for the DHCBA scheduled for October 19, 2024, the petitioners pointed out that the association has yet to see women in prominent roles like president or secretary since its inception in 1962.
The petitioners highlighted that the Supreme Court Bar Association already reserves 1/3rd of its seats for women. This includes two out of six Senior Executive Member seats and one post for Office Bearer, allocated on a rotational basis.
The ongoing debate on women's representation within the legal community continues as election processes are underway for the 2024-25 term, with the seat of Treasurer reserved for female candidates.
(With inputs from agencies.)
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