VERY few women find representation at the top. Even when they do, they continue to face significant challenges. After 75 years of independence, one would expect at least 50 percent representation for wo men at all levels, but I must admit that with great difficulty we have now achieved a mere 11 percent representation of women on the bench of the Supreme Court,” said Chief Justice of India (CJI) NV Ramana at an event organised by the Bar Council of India. The CJI stated that the issue relating to women’s representation in the judiciary must be highlighted and debated on a large scale.
Women’s inadequate representation in the judiciary has always been a matter of great concern in the country. The Supreme Court was established in 1959, but it got the first women judge Fathima Beevi in 1989, after 39 years of its establishment. After her, seven more women judges graced the bench of the Supreme Court. They are: Justices Sujata V Manohar, Ruma Pal, Gyan Sudha Mishra, Ranjana Desai, R Banumathi, Indira Banerjee, and Indu Malhotra, the first woman lawyer elevated to the Supreme Court directly from the Bar.
Currently, the Supreme Court has four women judges out of 34, the sanctioned strength of judges in the Court. Three women judges—Justices Hima Kohli, BV Nagarathna and Bela M Trivedi joined the Supreme Court recently. It is for the first time that the President of India, on the recommendation of the Supreme Court collegium headed by CJI Ramana, has appointed three wo men judges to the apex court. One of them is likely to become the chief justice of India if the line of seniority remains undisturbed till 2027. This is the highest number of women judges in the apex court up till now.
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