“I Was Stalked in the Early Days of My Practice”: Justice Savitri Ratho Recalls Experience at IWIL National Conference

New Delhi: Justice Savitri Ratho of the Orissa High Court candidly reflected on the challenges she faced during the early years of her legal career while speaking at the historic and unprecedented First National Conference of Indian Women in Law, themed “Half the Nation – Half the Bench,” held at the Supreme Court of India on the occasion of International Women’s Day.

The landmark conference was spearheaded and organised by Senior Advocate Mahalakshmi Pavani along with Senior Advocate Shobha Gupta, bringing together some of the most eminent minds of the Indian judiciary and Bar.

In a rare and powerful moment for the legal fraternity, the conference witnessed the presence of former Chief Justice of India Justice N.V. Ramana, current Chief Justice of India Justice Surya Kant, and Justice B.V. Nagarathna — who is set to become India’s first woman Chief Justice of India, along with several sitting Supreme Court judges, making it a truly extraordinary gathering.

Sharing a deeply personal experience during the panel discussion, Justice Ratho recalled that she had been stalked during the initial days of her legal practice. She said she would often notice a man repeatedly appearing wherever she was in court, and the situation escalated when the individual even appeared at her chamber. Justice Ratho revealed that it was her male colleagues at the Bar who stepped in to support her, eventually handling the situation and ensuring that the matter was addressed. Her candid remarks shed light on the often unspoken challenges faced by women lawyers in the early stages of their professional journeys.

Justice Ratho also spoke about the hurdles she faced on the path to the Bench, revealing that her name had been recommended twice by the Collegium for elevation as a judge but the appointments did not materialise at the time. She also challenged the commonly held notion that women always support other women, sharing that in her own experience it was her male colleagues who stood firmly by her during difficult moments.

The discussion took place during the session “Bridge the Gap – Balance the Bench,” forming part of the larger vision behind this path-breaking and momentous conference conceptualised by Senior Advocate Mahalakshmi Pavani, aimed at igniting a national conversation on ensuring that women — who constitute half the nation — find rightful and equal representation on the Bench.