The Supreme Court will hear on Thursday a petition seeking reservation for women in the Delhi High Court Bar Association (DHCBA).
The matter was listed before a three-judge Bench led by Justice Surya Kant on Wednesday, which observed that there should be reservation for women in the executive committee (EC) of the association.
The Bench orally suggested that the lawyer body should consider appointing a female lawyer as its Vice-President.
Noting that the matter should be discussed within the EC of DHCBA, the top court of the country directed that the case be listed for hearing on September 26.
Fozia Rahman (Respondent No.3), original writ petitioner in the case before the Delhi High Court (Fozia Rahman vs Bar Council of Delhi), appeared in person before the Apex Court.
She was represented by her Counsel Fuzail Khan AOR, who emphasised that the Supreme Court directions with regard to the Supreme Court Bar Association (SCBA) should be followed in the elections of the Delhi High Court Bar Association aswell.
Senior Advocate Vikas Singh appeared for DHCBA.
Earlier on September 20, the Bench of Justice Surya Kant and Justice Ujjal Bhuyan had issued notice to the Delhi Bar Council and bar associations across the national capital on two petitions seeking 33 percent reservation for women in different bar bodies operating in the national capital.
The Apex Court passed the order on two petitions seeking directions to all district bar associations in Delhi to implement 33 percent reservation for women in all Bar elections and another seeking reservation for women in DHCBA.
On September 11, the High Court had refused to pass any interim orders in the matter, prompting the petitioners to move the Apex Court.
Appearing for one of the petitioners, Advocate Swati Jindal Garg pointed out that the High Court had adjourned the case to November 27 and the prayers would become infructuous by then.
She said while women were entering the (legal) profession, they were progressing slowly into senior positions due to ineffective representation in key posts of Bar Councils and Bar Associations.
Advocate Garg submitted that reservation was needed to check on the exploitation of exclusive power by its members, which was right now the need of the hour in a male-dominated profession.
The first petition was filed by Advocate Shobha Gupta and her daughter.
The second plea seeking reservation in DHCBA was filed by Advocate Aditi Chaudhary through Advocate Sunieta Ojha and drawn by Advocate Harshita Singhal.