Supreme Court Champions Women's Reservation in Legal Associations

The Supreme Court has mandated reserving the treasurer's post for women in the Bengaluru Advocates Association and encouraged representation with at least 30% seats reserved for women with 10 years experience in the council. The decision aims to enhance women's visibility and participation in legal bodies.

In a landmark decision, the Supreme Court exercised its plenary powers on Friday to mandate reservations for women lawyers in the Bengaluru Advocates Association, specifically assigning the post of treasurer to female candidates. The move is part of wider efforts to increase women's representation in legal bodies.

Presided over by Justices Surya Kant and N. Kotiswar Singh, the court invoked Article 142 of the Constitution, noting the lack of express provisions for women’s reservations in the association’s by-laws. The bench directed a high-powered committee to possibly extend election nominations to ensure compliance.

This decision follows similar mandates by the apex court in other legal associations, emphasizing the necessity of women's inclusion in key positions to ensure equitable representation and encourage more young female lawyers to participate actively in governance roles.

(With inputs from agencies.)