New Delhi, Mar 24 (PTI) The Supreme Court on Monday reserved for women the post of treasurer along with 30 per cent seats in the executive committee of the council of bar bodies of district courts of Karnataka.
A bench of Justices Surya Kant and N Kotiswar Singh said its direction passed in the case of Advocate Association of Bengaluru will apply as it is in the case of district courts of Karnataka.
The top court’s order came after women lawyers from Bengaluru sought a similar direction passed by the court on January 24 in the case of the Advocate Association of Bengaluru, where the court had reserved 33 per cent of seats for women advocates.
The counsel appearing for women lawyers said that for the high court bar association, the election was held and the post of treasurer was won by a woman candidate.
On January 24, exercising its plenary powers, the top court reserved for women lawyers the post of treasurer in the Advocate Association of Bengaluru (AAB).
The court had invoked its powers under Article 142, saying it was “high time” to provide women reservation in different elected bodies of advocates and there were no express provisions in the memorandum and by-laws earmarking seats for women candidates of the association.
The bench directed the high-powered committee constituted to oversee the election and the chief returning officer for the bar body polls to extend the date for inviting nominations and if required, the election to be deferred for a few days.
However, such a decision will be at the discretion of the committee and the chief returning officer, it had said.
The top court had ordered the committee and the returning officer to also consider adequate representation of the women advocates in the governing council of the Advocates’ Association of Bengaluru to ensure at least 30 per cent of the elected members of the council were women candidates with 10 years of practice experience.
The main petition filed by women lawyers sought the implementation of directions on women reservation issued in the case of Delhi High Court Bar Association, where the court last year directed for reserving seats for women lawyers including the post of treasurer.
It had said there was no legal impediment in providing the reservation to women lawyers.
The top court had earlier directed reserving the treasurer’s post and 30 per cent seats for women lawyers in the executive committee of Delhi Sales Tax Bar Association and Delhi Tax Bar Association.
On January 20, the top court directed that 33 per cent of seats would be reserved for women lawyers in the election of the National Green Tribunal Bar Association.
The top court, in December last year, directed reserving three posts for women lawyers in the DHCBA election. It had also said that in the district bar association elections, the post of treasurer plus 30 per cent of other executive committee posts should stand reserved for women lawyers (including those already reserved for women).
On September 26 last year, the apex court directed the DHCBA to have the post of treasurer reserved for women, besides another post in the five-member office-bearer body of the association. PTI MNL RT
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