Participants at a national consultation hosted by Centre for Law and Policy Research in Bengaluru on Sunday.
| Photo Credit: special arrangement
The Centre for Law and Policy Research (CLPR) hosted a national consultation titled ‘Equal Justice: Securing Equal Inclusion of Women in the Higher Judiciary’ on Saturday and Sunday at Sabha, Bengaluru.
The event brought together retired judges, legal professionals, scholars, and civil society representatives to confront systemic barriers impeding women’s advancement in India’s judiciary, where representation remains alarmingly low. Women currently account for just 14.42% of High Court judges and 6% of Supreme Court judges — only two out of 33 justices. Historically, a mere 11 of 279 Supreme Court judges (3.94%) have been women, with no female Chief Justice in 75 years. Justice B.V. Nagarathna is poised to shatter this ceiling in 2027, though her tenure will last only 36 days.
Participants at a national consultation hosted by Centre for Law and Policy Research in Bengaluru on Sunday.
| Photo Credit:
special arrangement
The consultation emphasised transparent judicial appointments and reforms to create a gender-inclusive judiciary, spotlighting inter-sectional challenges faced by women from marginalised backgrounds. CLPR aims to catalyse legal and institutional shifts to bolster women’s leadership in the judiciary.
Participants at a national consultation hosted by Centre for Law and Policy Research in Bengaluru on Sunday.
| Photo Credit:
special arrangement
The event commenced with a panel exploring the role of bar associations in promoting gender diversity in judicial leadership. Prashanth Kumar, president of the Bar Association of India, shared his vision, stating: “I’ve seen women excel in top roles. I’ll ensure half our State secretaries are women by leveraging mentoring programmes in criminal law and pushing institutional reforms.”
Published – March 23, 2025 09:34 pm IST
