New Delhi, September 27 (PTI): A day after CJI N V Ramana exhorted women lawyers to strongly seek 50 per cent reservation in higher judiciary, the Supreme Court Bar Association (SCBA) on Monday hailed the statement and urged him to appoint them as judges being the head of the collegium.
The Chief Justice of India, speaking at the event organised by the Women Advocates of Supreme Court here to felicitate him and the nine new apex court judges on Sunday, exhorted women lawyers to strongly raise demand for 50 per cent reservation in the judiciary and assured them of his "total support".
"I don't want you to cry but with anger, you have to shout and demand that we need 50 per cent reservation," Justice Ramana said.
SCBA President and senior advocate Vikas Singh, in a press statement, said, I have seen the comments attributed to the Hon'ble CJI exhorting women lawyers to ask for 50 per cent reservation in the higher judiciary. I am extremely happy that the CJI took out time to meet the lady lawyers.
At the same time, I feel as the elected body, the CJI should meet the Executive Committee of the SCBA more frequently as through several letters we have been requesting for a meeting which has not been granted to us. Moreover, the CJI being the head of the institution and the appointments being done by the collegium system, he can easily provide for more and more representation of women lawyers without any representation in this regard."
The statement issued on Monday said the SCBA has always been urging for a larger representation of women in higher judiciary and the search committee of the bar body has recommended names of Supreme Court lawyers for elevation to high courts and the list contained the names of 13 lady lawyers.
Singh said that the list of suitable candidates for being considered for elevation to the high courts was pending with the CJI.
With this statement of the Hon'ble CJI, we are sure that steps, if not already taken, would be taken immediately and as a first step the recommended names would be sent for consideration, especially the names of lady lawyers, the SCBA President said.
The statement raised the allegation that several women lawyers, practising in the top court, were neither informed nor invited to the felicitation function and moreover, they are alleging that there is no such lady lawyers' association in existence .
The SCBA, in its earlier press statement, had sought an audience with the CJI for its Executive Committee members to discuss issues such as elevation of apex court lawyers as high court judges, their designation as seniors, physical hearing and allotment of chambers in the premises here.
