Supreme Court Allows Kerala Bar Council Elected Members To Approach HC Chief Justice For Co-Option Of Women

The Supreme Court on Wednesday paved the way for the constitution of the newly elected Bar Council of Kerala (BCK), allowing its elected members to approach the Chief Justice of the Kerala High Court for co-option of two women members.

A Bench comprising Chief Justice of India Surya Kant, Justice Joymalya Bagchi and Justice V Mohana observed that the Supreme Court had, in an order passed on August 4, authorised Chief Justices of High Courts to co-opt women members to State Bar Councils in order to ensure compliance with the prescribed representation requirements.

The Bench said that, in view of the earlier order, the apprehensions raised by the petitioners regarding the constitution of the BCK stood addressed.

During the hearing, the bench referred to a notice issued by the Bar Council of India (BCI) on Tuesday directing all State Bar Councils to meet on August 16 and prepare a panel of four women members. The panel is to be submitted to the concerned High Court Chief Justice, who can then co-opt two women members to the State Bar Council.

The Court was hearing a writ petition filed by three newly elected members of the Bar Council of Kerala,  Naseer K.K., Nagaraj Narayanan and Pramod SK, challenging the BCI's June 30, 2026 order appointing a limited interim authority to administer the State Bar Council.

Senior Advocate PV Dinesh, appearing for the petitioners, argued that the BCI lacked the power to appoint an ad-hoc authority to control the State Bar Council after elections had already been conducted and the results were notified.

The petitioners had sought quashing of the BCI's June 30 order and a direction to allow the newly elected members of the Bar Council of Kerala to immediately convene and elect the Chairman and Vice-Chairman.

It may be noted that in another petition, the Kerala High Court, on July 31, had stayed the operation of the BCI Chairman's June 30 order constituting a Limited Interim Authority for the Bar Council of Kerala. Justice Bechu Kurian Thomas found that the inclusion of a former BCK chairman who was not a member of the newly elected Council prima facie raised concerns under the democratic scheme of the Advocates Act, 1961.

 Case : Naseer KK v Bar Council of Kerala | WP(c) 986/2026