Supreme Court Empowers District Judges To Nominate Members To Bar Associations' ECs To Ensure 30% Women Representation

The Supreme Court today empowered District Judges across the country to nominate women members to Executive Committees/Governing Bodies of Bar Associations within their jurisdictions, so as to meet the criteria of 30 percent women's representation in them.

The Court authorized the District Judges to make the nominations in the event that there were sufficient women members available in a particular jurisdiction, but they could not contest the elections of the Executive Committee/Governing Body due to some reason.

A bench of CJI Surya Kant and Justice Joymalya Bagchi passed the order.

Earlier, the Court had directed the Registrar Generals of all High Courts to verify and report compliance with its mandate requiring 30 percent representation of women lawyers as office bearers or executive members in Bar Associations.

Today, Senior Advocate Jayna Kothari informed that while some High Courts had filed detailed compliance reports, some others had filed 'sketchy' reports. It was further pointed out that certain Bar Associations were not meeting the 30% representation criteria.

In this backdrop, the Court directed,

"Where there are sufficient women members available and for some reason they could not contest the elections, the district judges are given right to nominate women members on the executive committee of the respective bar associations in their jurisdiction and send compliance report to Registrar Generals of High Courts. Registrar Generals will then collate and forward [data] to this Court."

It further noted that only 11 High Courts had filed compliance reports, responding to the following issues:

- Whether Bar Associations in their jurisdictions have adequate representation of women in the executive body?

- Whether the Bar Associations have included a requirement of 30% representation for women in the bar associations?

- What are the remedial measures that have been taken by such Bar Associations where the Court's directions could not be complied?

The order recorded that the benefit of representation has not percolated in different Bar Associations - like Tax, RERA, DRT, NGT etc. At last, the Court directed the remaining 14 High Courts to ensure that all Bar Associations in their respective jurisdiction ensure 30% representation to women members in the election of governing bodies/executive bodies.

The issue in the present batch of matters pertains to ensuring 30% representation of women lawyers as office bearers/executive members in every Bar Association, including Taluka/District/Tax/RERA Bar as well as High Court Bar Associations. With the Court's intervention and support of members of the Bar, such representation has already been ensured in the case of Supreme Court Bar Association and certain High Court Bar Associations.

Case Title: DEEKSHA N AMRUTHESH Versus STATE OF KARNATAKA AND ORS., SLP(C) No. 1404/2025 (and connected cases)