Supreme Court Hears Plea Seeking 30% Reservation For Women Lawyers In Government Panels

In Ladli Foundation Trust vs. Union of India, a petition has been filed before the Supreme Court of India seeking 30 percent reservation for women lawyers in government law officer positions, including Central and State government panels and Public Sector Undertakings. The plea highlights that no woman has ever been appointed Attorney General or Solicitor General of India.

The petition points out that women remain severely underrepresented in institutional legal positions despite increasing participation in the legal profession. It argues that this lack of representation also affects women’s elevation to the higher judiciary because government law officer posts often serve as pathways to judicial appointments.

A Bench comprising Justice Surya Kant, Justice Joymalya Bagchi and Justice Vipul M Pancholi briefly heard the matter on Wednesday. During the hearing, CJI Surya Kant referred to a recent Telangana Bar Association development where a woman was appointed Secretary.

“Yesterday, in the Telangana Bar Association, the Secretary was a woman appointed. She was thanking me. I enquired about the total strength of the Bar .. it is 19,000. Around 8,000 come regularly, out of which 2,000 are women. Now only one woman member appointed,” the CJI observed.

Senior Advocate Vikas Singh, who is also President of the Supreme Court Bar Association, referred to a recent SCBA survey concerning challenges faced by women lawyers. He urged the Court to ensure better inclusion of women in government legal panels.

Responding to the concern, the CJI noted that although stipend schemes exist for women lawyers, many continue to struggle professionally. “You know there is dedicated stipends also for women members, but at times, not a single case is marked for the whole month,” he remarked.

Senior Advocate Dr. Monika Gusain also highlighted the broader difficulties faced by women advocates in the profession. The Court is expected to hear the matter further next week.

The petition states that women constitute only around 15.31 percent of India’s legal workforce, with approximately 284,507 women advocates out of 1.54 million enrolled lawyers nationwide. It further points to the low representation of women in the higher judiciary.

According to the plea, only 11 women have been elevated to the Supreme Court since Justice M Fathima Beevi became the first woman judge of the apex court in 1989. It also notes that women currently make up around 5.88 percent of Supreme Court judges and 13.76 percent of High Court judges.

The petition argues that structural barriers continue to prevent women lawyers from reaching leadership positions and judicial offices. It was filed through advocate Mudit Gupta.