In order to look into the infrastructural and security issues faced by female lawyers, staff and litigants in different courts of Maharashtra, the High Court of Bombay has directed to set up a committee within two weeks.
The Division Bench of Acting Chief Justice (ACJ) Nitin Jamadar and Justice Arif Doctor passed the order on a petition filed by NGO Jan Adalat Centre for Paralegal Services, the Legal Aid Society and a Pune-based lawyer, Madhavi Pardeshi.
regarding problems faced by women in court premises. The petition also highlights security concerns for women and seeks installation of CCTV cameras in court complexes.The petition points out the problem of female lawyers becoming compelled to stop practicing after having children and highlights the importance of providing childcare facilities in the court premises
The High Court said the Committee would consist of Principal District Judges, one female representative from the respective district bar associations, Additional Collector from Revenue, and Executive Engineer (PWD) from each district of the state. The Division Bench directed the committee to submit its report on the matter in four weeks.
The order was passed on a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) filed by the Jan Adalat Centre for Paralegal Services and Legal Aid Society.
Pointing out that out of total 1.6 lakh Advocates in Maharashtra, 40,000 were females as on January 1, 2019, the plea contended that the courts were devoid of basic structure required to cater to the needs of women advocates, judicial officers, staff and litigants.
Highlighting the lack of washrooms and changing rooms for women in the court complexes, the petition noted that most of the women lawyers stopped practicing after having kids due to inadequate facilities in court premises.
The petition further demanded creche facilities and feeding rooms for advocates, who chose to embrace motherhood.
It further sought a separate room for having lunch, stating that women were forced to skip their lunch due to no separate eating facilities for them.
Additionally, the plea stated that neither any separate bar rooms were available for women nor any guidelines were released specifying the minimum number of women lawyers required for the provision of bar rooms.
The PIL underlined that despite having the Pune District Court, which had around 1.5 lakh female practitioners, had only two separate bar rooms that were often a cause of dispute due to overcrowding and discomfort, especially during the summer season.
Furthermore, the plea sought separate parking spaces, locker rooms and distinct drinking water facilities for women in the court premises.
Stating that if the court premises had CCTV cameras, it would ensure the security of women, the petition sought installation of the same.
(Case title: Jan Adalat Centre for Paralegal Services and Legal Aid Society and Ors vs State of Maharashtra and Anr)