Lawyer seeks 30% seats for female candidates in 2026 Bar Council of Delhi polls, moves Supreme Court

Last year, the court had directed reservation of seats for women in the Delhi High Court Bar Association elections.

Advocate Singhal, through her counsel Ujwal Ghai, prayed for directions to the BCD to reserve 30 per cent seats for women candidates, i.e., eight seats for women of the total of 25 seats in the upcoming elections of the bar body as an interim arrangement.

The plea said that it could be done on a similar line when the apex court directed reservation for elections at the “Delhi High Court Bar Association and all district bar association elections in Delhi”.

Singhal pointed out in her plea that there is hardly any representation of women in the functioning and decision making of the BCD as there was “not a single woman in the entire 25 members”.

Only 2 women members since 1961

Singhal highlighted that since the establishment of the BCD in 1961, only two women have been the members and emphasised that the directions sought would lead to increase in the women representation in the bar body.

The lawyer said the non-representation of women has also led to a lack of women advocates in the functioning of decision making of different committees of the BCD such as executive committee, disciplinary committee, enrolment committee, rules committee, election committee, library committee and welfare committee.

“It is matter of record that all these committees consist only of elected male advocates of the Bar Council of Delhi and unfortunately the Bar Council of Delhi has a history of negligible or poor representation of women in its functioning,” her plea added.

The plea further referred to similar kinds of applications for reservation of posts or seats for women at the Sales Tax Bar Association, National Green Tribunal etc. allowed by the Supreme Court.

Background

On December 19, 2024, the apex court passed interim directions reserving seats for women lawyers in the Delhi High Court Bar Association and district bar associations and directed:

1) There shall be only one post of Treasurer, as it already exists in the Delhi High Court Bar Association. The said post of Treasurer is earmarked exclusively for women candidates, in the ensuing elections.

2) One post of the members of the Executive Committee, who are to be elected from amongst the Senior Designated Advocates, shall also be earmarked exclusively for the women Senior Advocates.

3) In the next category of those who are to be elected from amongst Advocates having 25 years of practice, one such post of Executive Member too shall be earmarked exclusively for women candidates.

4) The election of the High Court Bar Association shall be held on the scheduled date.

The court had further directed that in each and every district bar association, the post of treasurer shall be earmarked only for women candidates of that bar association.

Since the strength of the members of the executive committee/governing body of the district bar associations vary from bar to bar, the court directed that 30% of the posts of Executive Members (including the posts already reserved) shall be earmarked in each District Bar Association for the women candidates having at least 10 years practice to their credit.

The court had also directed that 30% of the posts of executive members (including the posts already reserved) shall be earmarked in each district bar association for the women candidates having at least 10 years practice to their credit.

The matter will be heard on December 1 before the bench of Chief Justice of India.