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Supreme Court reserves for women lawyers treasurer post in Delhi tax bar bodies

In India
January 22, 2025
Supreme Court reserves for women lawyers treasurer post in Delhi tax bar bodies

The Supreme Court on Wednesday (January 22, 2025) directed reserving the treasurer’s post and 30% seats for women lawyers in the executive committee of Delhi Sales Tax Bar Association and Delhi Tax Bar Association.

A bench of Justices Surya Kant, Dipankar Datta and Ujjal Bhuyan said last year’s direction in the case of Delhi High Court Bar Association (DHCBA) and district bar associations for reserving seats for women lawyers should be followed in the tax bar associations in the national capital as well.

In another matter, the top court issued notice on a plea seeking to reserve 33% seats for women in Bangalore bar associations akin to the DHCBA.

On January 20, the top court directed that 33% of seats would be reserved for women lawyers in the election of the National Green Tribunal bar association.

On December 18 last year, the top court directed the reservation of three posts for women lawyers in the DHCBA election.

It also said in the district bar association elections, the post of treasurer plus 30% of other executive committee posts should stand reserved for women lawyers (including those already reserved for women).

On September 26 last year, the apex court directed the DHCBA to have the post of treasurer reserved for women, besides another post in the five-member office-bearer body of the association.

“The general body of the bar association shall consider to reserve the post of the treasurer exclusively for the women members of the bar association,” it directed.

“In addition to reserving the post of treasurer for women members, the general body should also be free to consider the desirability of reserving one more post of the office-bearer for women members of the bar association,” it said.

“Similarly, out of the 10 executive members, there shall be at least three women members. The general body may also resolve that out of the three women members of the executive committee, one at least will be a senior designated advocate,” the top court previously directed.

On May 2 last year, in an order aimed at increasing the representation of women at the bar, the court had directed a 33% reservation in the executive committee of the Supreme Court Bar Association for women lawyers.

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