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The Supreme Court has issued notices to all state bar councils and the Bar Council of India (BCI) over a petition seeking one-third reservation for women in bar council posts, including at least one office-bearer position in every council across the country.
The bench of Justices Surya Kant and Joymalya Bagchi directed the respondents to file their replies within the stipulated period after taking cognisance of the plea filed by a woman advocate.
The petition has drawn attention to an imbalance, revealing that women constitute only 2.04% of the total elected members across all state bar councils in India.
Out of 441 members, only nine are women, and several state councils — including Gujarat, Delhi, Maharashtra, Goa, Punjab and Haryana, Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh, and West Bengal — reportedly have no female representatives at all.
The plea contends that without adequate participation, women advocates are being denied meaningful opportunities to contribute to the legal profession’s decision-making process.
Citing the Supreme Court’s own order from last year directing one-third reservation for women, including one office-bearer post, in the executive committee of the Supreme Court Bar Association, the petitioner urged that a similar mandate be extended to all bar councils across India.
The petition further asserted that the lack of representation in state bar councils amounts to a violation of Articles 14, 15, 16, and 21 of the Constitution.
Tracing the historical struggle of women in the legal field, the plea noted that women were formally allowed to practice law in India only after the enactment of the Legal Practitioners (Women) Act, 1923.