New Delhi: The Supreme Court on Sunday constituted two additional Election Tribunals for the expeditious adjudication of disputes arising out of the ongoing State Bar Council elections, with Senior Advocate Mahalakshmi Pavani being named as a member of one of the newly formed panels.
A Bench comprising Chief Justice of India Surya Kant and Justice Joymalya Bagchi passed the order while hearing a batch of petitions concerning alleged irregularities in State Bar Council elections and issues relating to reservation for women candidates.
The Court noted that the matters had earlier been heard on May 15 and were adjourned to explore the possibility of constituting additional Election Tribunals to ensure the speedy resolution of election-related disputes across various State Bar Councils.
In its order, the Court constituted the first tribunal comprising former Supreme Court judge Justice Deepak Gupta as Chairperson, former Andhra Pradesh High Court Chief Justice Dhiraj Singh Thakur, and Senior Advocate Mahalakshmi Pavani.
The second tribunal comprises former Supreme Court judge Justice Hima Kohli as Chairperson, former Jharkhand High Court Chief Justice Tarlok Singh Chauhan, and Senior Advocate Kaveeta Wadia.
The Supreme Court directed the Bar Council of India (BCI) to obtain formal consent from all members and notify the constitution of the tribunals within three days.
The Bench further clarified that aggrieved parties would be at liberty to approach these tribunals with their respective claims and requested the panels to decide all issues, including interim applications, expeditiously.
Additionally, all State Bar Councils were directed to preserve election records until the disputes are finally adjudicated.
The top court’s intervention comes amid increasing litigation over Bar Council elections in several states, with multiple petitions raising concerns regarding the election process, ballot systems, and reservation-related issues.
By constituting two specialised tribunals, the Supreme Court has sought to streamline the adjudication process and ensure that election disputes do not hamper the functioning of State Bar Councils.
Case Title: Savita Devi @ Savita Dhanda & Ors. v. Union of India & Ors.
