The Supreme Court has issued a notice to the Centre, states, and Union Territories regarding a PIL seeking a minimum 30% reservation for women advocates in government legal panels and law officer appointments nationwide. The notice was issued by a bench led by Chief Justice of India Surya Kant and Justices Joymalya Bagchi and Vipul M. Pancholi after a brief hearing.
During the hearing, senior advocate and Supreme Court Bar Association President Vikas Singh referenced a recent survey highlighting the challenges faced by women in the legal profession. He urged the top court to ensure greater inclusion of women in government legal panels and law officer appointments. The bench agreed to hear the matter further and scheduled it for the next week.
The PIL, filed by Ladli Foundation Trust, aims to implement a 30% reservation for women advocates in all High Court panels, government law officer positions, and Central and State Government/Public Sector Undertaking legal panels. The petition emphasizes that women’s underrepresentation in government legal panels and law officer positions contradicts the constitutional mandate of equality and fair representation.
