Kerala Bar Association Scripts History, Elects Only Women As Office Bearers

Marking a historic first, the Pala Bar Association in Kerala has elected an all-women panel to serve as office bearers and members of its executive committee. The election, which filled 15 positions, comes at a time when calls for increased women's representation in bar associations are gaining momentum across the country.

It may be noted that cases are pending in the Supreme Court for ensuring women's representation in bar association posts. Last year, the Supreme Court mandated that at least 1/3rd posts in the Supreme Court Bar Association shall be reserved for women lawyers. This direction was later extended to several other Bar Associations, such as Delhi High Court and Karnataka. Against this backdrop, the election of an all-women panel by the Pala Bar Association in Kerala is particularly significant, as it goes beyond the mandated one-third reservation for women, setting a powerful precedent for gender-inclusive leadership in the legal profession.

In the Pala Association, an all-women panel led by Advocate Usha Menon got elected.