New Delhi: The Supreme Court on Monday issued an order reserving 30% of the posts of treasurer and other posts for women in the executive committee of the Karnataka District Courts Bar Associations Council.
A bench of Justices Surya Kant and N. Kotishwar Singh said that the direction issued in the Bangalore Bar Association case is applicable in the same way as in the case of district courts in Karnataka.
On January 24, a group of women lawyers from Bengaluru had sought a direction modeled on the case of the Bangalore Bar Association, in which the court reserved 33 percent of seats for women lawyers. The Supreme Court has granted this plea.
The lawyers appearing for the women lawyers said that elections were held for the High Court Bar Association and a female candidate won the post of treasurer.
On January 24, exercising its full powers, the Supreme Court had ordered the reservation of the post of treasurer of the Bangalore Bar Association for women lawyers.
The court, which said it was “time” to provide reservation for women in various elected bar associations, exercised its powers under Article 142 and said there were no clear provisions in the memorandum and by-laws of the association allocating seats to women candidates.
The bench also directed the high-powered committee formed to monitor the elections and the bar body to extend the date for inviting nominations for the Chief Returning Officer elections and, if necessary, postpone the elections by a few days.
However, the court said that such a decision is at the discretion of the committee and the Chief Returning Officer. The Supreme Court had ordered the committee and the Returning Officer to consider adequate representation of women lawyers in the governing body of the Bangalore Bar Association, so that it can be ensured that at least 30 percent of the elected members of the board are women candidates with 10 years of practice experience.
The petition filed by women lawyers sought implementation of the directions issued in the Delhi High Court Bar Association case on women’s reservation. Last year, the court had directed that positions, including the post of treasurer, be reserved for women lawyers.
