Chief Justice of India N.V. Ramana on Thursday dubbed it “unfortunate” that only 17 of 37 women recommended by the Supreme Court collegium were appointed as judges in high courts while the rest still remain pending with the government.
“For the High Courts, we have recommended so far 192 candidates. Out of these, 37, that is 19% were women. This is certainly an improvement over the percentage of incumbent women judges in high courts which stands at 11.8%. Unfortunately, so far only 17 of the 37 women recommended were appointed. Others are still pending with the government,” Chief Justice Ramana said.
The top judge said the appointment of women judges should not be reduced to a mere “symbolic” gesture. Women judges add rich experience and bring to the table a nuanced understanding of the differing impacts that certain laws may have on both men and women.
“Now we have four women judges in the Supreme Court, which is the highest ever in its history. In near future, we shall be witnessing the first ever female Chief Justice of India. But, I think, we are still far away from ensuring at least 50% representation of women in our judiciary. The legal profession still remains male-dominated, with severe under-representation of women,” the CJI noted in his speech on the occasion of the International Day of Women Judges.
Chief Justice Ramana pointed to how Telangana with 52%, Assam with 46%, Andhra Pradesh with 45%, Odisha with 42%, Rajasthan with 40% of women among judicial officers have done well with reservation for women. “I strongly feel that the policy of providing reservation to women needs to be replicated at all levels and in all the States,” the CJI said.
He said that harassment, lack of respect from members of the Bar and Bench, the silencing of their opinions have traumatised women in the legal profession. Out of nearly 17 lakh advocates registered in the country, only 15% are women, the CJI said.
Chief Justice Ramana said his recent reference to Karl Marx’s “women of the world, unite; You have nothing to lose but your chains” was projected as an instigation to revolt.
“If giving women their due share is a revolution, I would be very happy to be branded as a revolutionary. I whole-heartedly welcome such a revolution,” Chief Justice Ramana said.
