The Delhi High Court has called for a response from both the Bar Council of Delhi (BCD) and the Delhi High Court Bar Association (DHCBA) regarding a petition advocating for designated seats for women lawyers within the DHCBA’s executive body. The court’s decision, led by Acting Chief Justice Manmohan and Justice Tushar Rao Gedela, comes ahead of the upcoming hearing on August 12.
This judicial inquiry coincides with another petition pushing for a broader 33% reservation for women in all bar associations across the national capital. Advocate Fozia Rahman initiated the current plea, demanding that at least two executive positions such as President, Vice President, and other key roles, be reserved for women on a rotational basis or through a method ensuring equitable gender representation in decision-making.
Rahman’s proposal includes specific recommendations, such as reserving the DHCBA presidency for women every three years. In other years, when the presidency is open to all bar members, positions like the secretary or joint secretary should be reserved for women, ensuring continuous female representation.
Highlighting the dire need for gender diversity within the upper echelons of the DHCBA, Rahman pointed out the stark contrast between the association’s growing membership, now over 32,000, and its leadership demographics. She argued that the existing rules and the structure of the association have not kept pace with its expansion, underscoring an urgent need for reform to better represent its diverse membership.
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The plea also mentioned that despite prior representations made by Rahman and approximately 200 other advocates addressing these disparities, the bar bodies have yet to act on these recommendations, thereby necessitating court intervention.
