NEW DELHI: With just one out of 33 judges in SC and around 15% of judges in HCs being women, CJI Surya Kant, on International Women’s Day, admitted that their fair and equal participation in the judiciary remained an unfinished task and appealed to HC collegiums to consider elevation of more women to the bench.Of the total working strength of 781 judges in 25 HCs, the number of women judges is only 116. Over the years, 291 women judges had been appointed in HCs out of a total appointment of 5,161, which makes it a meagre 5.6%. No woman judge has been appointed to SC since Sept 2021.Speaking on “Half the Nation, Half the Bench” at an event on SC premises, the CJI said women judges do not bring a different standard of justice but they do bring in a distinct perspective, and diversity. He said the institution must rise to address the concern of 650 million females in the country and make them believe the justice system understands the realities and would respond to them with fairness. He said institutional intent is not enough and should be accompanied by institutional imagination to realise the goal.“HC collegiums must recognise that the moment for measured action is not in the future, it is now… when suitable and meritorious women members are available at the Bar, then their consideration should not be an exception but a norm,” the CJI said.He underscored the need to widen the zone of consideration for judicial appointments and urged HCs not to reject candidates merely because they do not strictly meet the age requirement. “Where in certain HCs, if suitable women candidates within a particular age limit are not immediately available, that should not become a barrier,” he said.Justice Kant said the concern of enough women representation was being addressed, but more was needed. He said at present, two HCs have women chief justices, and with the elevation of Justice Lisa Gill, the number will rise to three. He mentioned Punjab and Haryana HC, which has 18 sitting women judges.“Every woman who takes a place on the bench sends a clear message to those who still face obstacle that your perseverance is not unseen and it is not in vain,” he said.
