Increase in Female Judges Nationwide: CJI Chandrachud Acknowledges Trend

NEW DELHI: Chief Justice of India (CJI) DY Chandrachud addressed the remarkable increase in the number of women judicial officers across the country, noting it as a significant nationwide trend.

In a heartening announcement at the commencement of proceedings, CJI Chandrachud proudly stated, "We wish to share some happy news. Here in the back row (in the courtroom), we have 75 judges from the civil judge junior division from Maharashtra. Out of a batch of 75 judges, 42 are women and 33 are men." He went on to emphasize that this phenomenon of a higher number of women judges is not isolated but is being observed throughout the nation.

Sitting alongside Justices J B Pardiwala and Manoj Misra, CJI Chandrachud reiterated, "This is a trend happening across the country. There are more women judges in numbers."

Justice Chandrachud expressed his intention to meet with the judicial officers, including the women judges, during the lunch hour, showcasing his support for their vital contributions to the judiciary.

Some lawyers, including senior advocate Dushyant Dave, urged the CJI to take concrete measures to further increase the representation of women judges within the apex court. Responding to these requests, CJI Chandrachud acknowledged the historical context, stating, "The appointments made today are a reflection of the bar 15 years ago."

Recently, former Supreme Court Bar Association (SCBA) president and senior lawyer Vikas Singh penned a letter to the CJI, highlighting the necessity of reserving one-third of judicial positions for women in the higher judiciary. Singh referenced the passage of a bill in Parliament that reserves one-third of seats for women in the Lok Sabha and state assemblies.

The high courts of Patna, Uttarakhand, Tripura, Meghalaya, and Manipur currently lack any women judges, with 103 women judges serving in the remaining 20 high courts, as compared to 670 male judges, as outlined in Singh's letter. The call for greater gender diversity in the judiciary continues to gain momentum as the legal community strives for a more inclusive and representative justice system.

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