It’s high time we had woman CJI, says SC

New Delhi, April 15

Amid demand for better representation of women in the judiciary, the Supreme Court on Thursday said the time had come when a woman should be Chief Justice of India.

Why (just) higher judiciary… We think time has come when a woman should be CJI.

— Chief Justice SA Bobde

The top court said it always had the interest of women in mind and its every collegium considered women for appointment as judges in the higher judiciary, but many women lawyers refused judgeship, citing domestic and parental responsibilities.

Hearing a plea of women lawyers’ body seeking consideration of “meritorious” lot among them for appointment as judges in high courts, a special Bench of Chief Justice SA Bobde and Justices Sanjay Kishan Kaul and Surya Kant said, “Why higher judiciary. We think time has come when a woman should be Chief Justice of India.” Advocate Sneha Kalita, appearing for Supreme Court Women Lawyers Association, told the Bench that the percentage of representation of women in higher judiciary was “abysmally low” at 11.04%.

“We try to ensure that there is adequate representation of women in appointments to higher judiciary,” the CJI said, adding that “Chief Justices of HCs have told me that there is a problem that when women lawyers are asked for appointment as judges, they often deny it, saying that they have domestic responsibility.”

The CJI said, “We need only capable candidates.” The Bench refused to issue notice on the SCWLA’s intervention plea.

Attorney General KK Venugopal told the Bench that a decision on 10 names recommended by the SC Collegium for appointment as high courts judges would be communicated to the court in three months. — TNS