NEW DELHI: The Supreme Court on Friday directed for reserving the post of treasurer of Advocates Association, Bengaluru exclusively for women candidates.
A bench of Justices Surya Kant and N Kotiswar Singh pointed out there is no bar in regulations to reserve a post for the women.
SC Ensures Women’s Representation in Bengaluru Advocates Association Governing Council
The court also directed the High-Powered Committee and Chief Returning Officer will also consider the desirability of ensuring that at least 30% elected members of Governing Council of Advocates Association, Bengaluru are women advocates.
In this regard, the court said, the directions issued by it in the matter of High Court and District Court Bar Associations in NCT of Delhi would apply mutatis mutandis in the case of Advocates Association, Bengaluru also.
Supreme Court Invokes Article 142 to Reserve Treasurer Post for Women
A petition was filed by 0548/*Deeksha N Amruthesh against the Karnataka High Court's order of January 8, which noted that there is no provision or reservation for women for any post under those regulations.
"As regard to the orders passed by this court from time to time, the High Court has rightly pointed out that those orders have been passed by this court invoking its powers under Article 142 of the Constitution of India," the bench said.
Upon hearing senior advocate Lakshmy Iyengar and others for the petitioners, the court issued the order and fixed the matter for consideration on March 3, 2025.
In its order, the bench said, "We find from the regulations that there is no express provisions barring earmarking or reservation of a post for the women candidates in the Advocates Association, Bengaluru. The regulations are completely silent to that effect. That being so, we are prima facie of the view that there is no legal impediment against providing adequate representation to the women advocates in the composition of governing council of the Advocates Association, Bengaluru."
The bench used its extraordinary powers under Article 142 of the Constitution to do complete justice to issue this direction.
"The post of treasurer of Advocates Association, Bengaluru shall be exclusively earmarked for women candidates. For this purpose the High-Powered Committee and the Chief Returning Officer shall extend the date for inviting nominations and if so required, the date of election can also be deferred for a few days. However, such a decision shall be to the entire discretion of the High-Powered Committee and the Chief Returning Officer," the bench said.
