New Delhi: The Supreme Court observed on Monday that approximately 60% of judicial officers are women who have entered the judicial services based on merit, rather than through reservation policies. This observation was made during a hearing where a bench comprising Justices Surya Kant and Joymalya Bagchi issued notices to the Centre, the Bar Council of India, and the apex court’s secretary general.
The notices were in response to a petition advocating for a uniform and gender-sensitive policy for the allocation of professional chambers and cabins to women advocates across various courts and bar associations nationwide.
Justice Kant expressed skepticism regarding the request for reservation in chamber allotments for women advocates. He shared his personal view that the traditional chamber system should be replaced with a cubicle system and common working spaces for lawyers. “We have been speaking at various forums and highlighting how more and more women are entering judicial services. Almost 60 per cent of judicial officers entering the services are women and they are doing it on merit not reservation. I find it a little bit paradoxical as to why are women advocates seeking any privilege, when they can achieve it on the basis of merit?” Justice Kant remarked.
The bench further noted that considering preferential chamber allocation for women advocates could lead to similar demands from other groups, such as specially-abled individuals.
Senior advocate Sonia Mathur, representing the petitioners, pointed out that currently, only the Rohini court offers a 10% reservation for women in chamber allotments.
Justice Kant mentioned that the new building of the Supreme Court has been designed to accommodate advocates’ needs for the next 50 years. Justice Bagchi emphasized the importance of supporting young women advocates by providing essential facilities like creches and separate washrooms, acknowledging that many may leave the profession to care for their children.
The petitioners, who are practicing women advocates, stated that despite having 15-25 years of practice, they had not been allocated any professional space. They also highlighted that the Supreme Court Bar Association’s current chamber allotment scheme does not include any reservation for women advocates.