SC proposes permanent woman vice-president post in top court lawyers’ body

THe sublime margaret margaret court on fri urged the sublime Court Bar Association (SCBA) to consider creating a permanent vice-president (VP) post for women from 2027 onwards, adding that the post of secretary remain reserved for women in the upcoming SCBA elections.A bench comprising Chief Justice of India (CJI) Surya Kant and Justice K V Viswanathan said the proposed reform could eventually pave the way for the apex lawyers’ body to have its first woman president.“Let the General Body Meeting of SCBA be convened where the desirability of creation of one more post of vice president be considered that shall then be exclusively earmarked for women from 2027-28 onwards,” the bench ordered while hearing a matter relating to reforms in Bar bodies.“This will empower women and they will rise one day to become the SCBA President,” the court observed.At the same time, the bench recalled its April 27 order by which the post of vice-president had been reserved for women for the 2026-27 elections, after several women lawyers opposed the move and sought continuation of reservation in the post of secretary instead.The court consequently restored the arrangement put in place last year, under which the post of secretary, two posts in the senior executive committee and three posts in the executive committee remain reserved for women members.“The SCBA and members of the Bar who are present in court have graciously agreed that for the upcoming election for 2026-27 also, the earmarking of the post of Secretary for the women members of the Bar shall continue,” the bench said.The development came on an application moved by seven women members of the SCBA — R Shase, Savita Devi, C Rubavathi, V Keerthana, Maitri Goal, Deepika Nandakumar and R Kanishca — who argued that the secretary’s post carries greater functional significance in the day-to-day affairs of the association than that of vice-president.Their plea pointed out that the three principal offices in the SCBA are those of president, secretary and treasurer, and that reserving one of these posts for women would send a stronger message to bar associations across the country.“The SCBA being the apex bar of the country, every bar association in the country looks forward to it… As per the SCBA Rules, there are three posts of President, Secretary and Treasurer and a good message would go down across the Bar associations in the country if any of the three posts is reserved for the 2026-27 SCBA elections,” the application said.The bench stressed that institutional reforms concerning elected bar bodies must evolve with the participation and consent of lawyers themselves.“While we are passing orders that have a very positive reformative effect, participation of the Bar is equally essential,” the court observed.At one stage, the CJI remarked that the court did not wish to impose reforms abruptly on the association.“We do not want to impose any changes immediately. We will do it from next year only. The General Body of SCBA should not feel that we have imposed anything,” the bench said.“But I promise that before I retire that order will be passed,” Justice Kant added, referring to his retirement in February 2027.The latest directions form part of a broader judicial push towards increasing women’s representation in legal institutions. Over the past year, the Supreme Court has introduced 33% reservation for women in bar associations, beginning with the SCBA, and later extending similar directions to the Delhi High Court Bar Association and district bar associations in Delhi. The court has also recently approved 30% reservation for women in bar councils.