Satya Prakash

New Delhi, May 2

The Supreme Court on Thursday ordered that a minimum of one-third of posts in the Supreme Court Bar Association (SCBA) Executive committee, i.e., three out of nine posts—to be reserved for women lawyers.

A Bench of Surya Kant and Justice KV Viswanathan also ordered that "A minimum 1/3rd out of the Senior Executive Members i.e., 2 out of 6; at least one post of the Office Bearer shall be reserved for women candidates exclusively by turn and on rotation basis."

It directed that "In the ensuing election for 2024-2025, the post of Treasurer of the Executive Committee is reserved for women."

However, the reserved posts did not include the post of SCBA President.

"Though no clarification is required, however, to remove any sort of doubt, it is made clear that reservation is only to guarantee a minimum and women members of the SCBA, subject to their eligibility, shall be entitled to contest the election for all the posts in the Executive Committee," the Bench clarified.

In view of the fact that the term of the current office-bearers of SCBA expires on May 18, 2024, the Bench constituted an Election Committee comprising senior advocates Jaideep

Gupta, Rana Mukherjee and Meenakshi Arora to hold elections for the top court's bar body on May 16.

"The counting of votes shall commence on May 18, 2024. The result shall be declared on May 19, 2024," it ordered.

"In case, if any of the three members have any difficulty, he or she may mention the same before us for replacement. The Election Committee shall be at liberty to co-opt volunteers for conducting free and fair election," the Bench said.

"The election shall be held on the basis of the voter list as was finalized in the election for the year 2023. Apart from those under the voters list for 2023, all those members who have become eligible between March 1, 2023 to February 29, 2024 would also be entitled to be included in the voters list," it said.

The order came after all the eight resolutions for SCBA reforms put up before the SCBA Special General Body Meeting held last month failed for want of 2/3rd majority of the members present and voted.