Supreme Court issues notice on plea seeking 33% women quota in Delhi bar associations

The Supreme Court on Friday sought the response of the Delhi Bar Council and bar associations across the national capital on petitions seeking 33 per cent reservation for women in Delhi's bar bodies. [Shobha Gupta and anr v. Bar Council of Delhi & Ors]

A Bench of Justices Surya Kant and Ujjal Bhuyan said it will hear the matter next on September 25.

Though counsel for one of the parties sought a shorter date since campaigning for bar elections was already underway, Justice Bhuyan remarked,

"Bar elections- why should there be campaigning? Let lawyers vote as per their conscience?"

"We have flagged how much is being spent in bar elections in another case. If lawyers also do this, what will happen to future of litigation in this country?" Justice Kant weighed in.

The Bench was hearing two petitions, one seeking directions to all the district bar associations in the national capital to implement 33 percent reservation for women in all Bar elections and another seeking reservation for women in the Delhi High Court Bar Association (DHCBA).

The first petition was filed by advocate Shobha Gupta and her daughter.

The Delhi High Court had on September 11 refused to pass any interim orders in that matter prompting the appeal before top court.

The plea filed through advocate Swati Jindal Garg pointed out that the High Court had adjourned the case to November 27 and the prayers would become infructuous by then.

"While women are entering the (legal) profession, they are progressing slowly into senior positions due to ineffective representation in the key posts of the Bar Council and Bar association ... (reservation is needed to) check on the exploitation of exclusive power by its members, which is right now the need of the hour ... (in) a male-dominated profession," it was submitted.

The plea pertaining to reservation in DHCBA was filed by advocate Aditi Chaudhary through advocate Sunieta Ojha and drawn by advocate Harshita Singhal.

The Bench issued notice on both the pleas and tagged them.

Elections for the Bar Council of Delhi and all the bar associations in the national capital are scheduled to be held on October 19 this year.

The Supreme Court had recently stayed a Delhi High Court directive that stated that no candidate will be allowed to contest for two posts simultaneously in the same.