SC Reserves 1/3rd SCBA Posts For Women

The Supreme Court of India, on May 2, directed that 1/3rd seats in the Supreme Court Bar Association be reserved for women office bearers. The Court also directed that the order be implemented in the impending SCBA Elections 2024.

Bench comprising Justice Surya Kant and Justice KV Viswanathan directed that the post of Treasurer be reserved for women.

The Court opined that all posts of the SCBA will be reserved on a rotation basis. In the junior executive committee, 3 positions will be reserved for women and in the senior executive committee, 2 positions will be reserved.

The Elections for the SCBA will be held on May 16 by the Election Committee comprising Senior Advocate Jaideep Gupta, Senior Advocate Rana Mukherjee and Senior Advocate Meenakshi Arora.

The Court took note of the eight resolutions of SCBA which aimed at reforming eligibility criteria for candidates, altering membership and candidate deposit fees, and revising the four-term limit for SCBA post holders were unsuccessful in the Special General Body meeting on April 30.

Yet, the Court emphasised the necessity of evolving SCBA norms, eligibility criteria, and fees over time, highlighting the need for timely reforms. Consequently, the Court instructed the SCBA's executive committee to seek input from all bar members, with a public notice on its website, by July 19, 2024. These suggestions, submitted digitally or in print, will be compiled and presented to the Court for consideration.

Source: Live Law