Supreme Court Directs Reservation Of Five Posts For Women In Upcoming HCBA Nagpur Elections

The Supreme Court yesterday directed reservation of one post of Vice President, the post of Treasurer and three posts of Executive Members in the upcoming elections of the High Court Bar Association, Nagpur will for women members.

A bench of Chief Justice Surya Kant and Justice Joymalya Bagchi noted that the office bearers of the Association had agreed to earmark these five posts for women members in the ensuing election on December 12, 2025.

“Consequently, it is directed that in the ensuing election of the High Court Bar Association, Nagpur, one post of Vice President, the post of Treasurer and three posts of Executive Members shall remain exclusively earmarked for the women members of the Bar”, the Court stated.

The Court stated that male candidates who have already filed nominations for the posts of Vice President or Treasurer would be allowed to opt for any of the other available positions. It also permitted the Committee to place the decision before the General Body.

“We have no reason to doubt that the General Body will appreciate the initiative taken on an All-India basis for ensuring an effective and respectable representation for the women members of the Bar Association, and keeping that ethos in mind, it will approve the decision of the Executive Committee, as noted above”, the Court added.

The Court disposed of a special leave petition filed by advocate Preeti Dilip Rane against a November 6, 2025 order of the Bombay High Court declining to grant interim relief on her plea seeking 33% reservation for women in the Association's elections.

The High Court had observed that the election programme had already been declared and that the issue required hearing all parties on merits.

This is not the first time the apex court has mandated or recorded women's representation in bar-body elections. In May 2024, the Supreme Court directed that at least one-third of the posts in the Supreme Court Bar Association (SCBA) be reserved for women ahead of its 2024-25 elections.

In the 2025 SCBA elections, the Court later observed that its direction had been fulfilled as three of six Senior Executive Members elected were women, and declined any further reservation for that cycle.

In December 2024, while dealing with matters relating to the Delhi High Court Bar Association and district Bar associations in Delhi, the Court directed that three posts in the DHCBA elections be reserved for women and that the Treasurer's post and 30% of Executive Committee posts in all district Bar associations in Delhi be reserved for women.

In March 2025, in a case concerning the Karnataka district bar associations, the Court directed that the Treasurer's post and 30% of Executive Committee or Governing Council posts be reserved for women across all district Bar associations in Karnataka.

In May 2025, the Court also directed that the Treasurer's post and 30% of Executive Committee posts be reserved for women in the Gujarat High Court Bar Association and all district Bar associations in Gujarat.

Case no. – Diary No. 64740/2025

Case Title – Preeti Dilip Rane v. High Court Bar Association, Nagpur

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