Form of words:
New Delhi: The Bar Council of India (BCI), the apex disciplinary body of lawyers, felicitated Chief Justice of India NV Ramana at a function held at the BCI office in the national capital on Saturday..
The function was attended by representatives of all State Bar Councils and judges of the Supreme Court. Union Law Minister Kiren Rijiju and Solicitor General of India Tushar Mehta were also present on the occasion.
In his address, CJI Ramana talked about the challenges faced by women in the legal profession and their lack of representation in the judiciary.
“While most women advocate for struggle in the profession, very few are represented at the top. After 75 years of independence, at least 50 per cent women would be expected to be represented at all levels, but we have been able to achieve only 11 per cent in Supreme Court benches.
Incidentally, the CJI heads the five-member collegium, which recently approved nine names, including three women judges, for appointment to the Supreme Court. One of the three is expected to become the first woman CJI in September 2027.
CJI Ramana expressed regret about the poor infrastructure in the courts and its impact on women. “I have noticed that women do not have toilets during practice. After becoming the Acting Chief Justice in the High Court, I made a provision for women toilets in the basement,” the CJI said.
“India needs a National Judicial Infrastructure Corporation,” Ramana said informing the gathering that he had prepared a comprehensive plan on the issue and would present it to the Law Minister very soon.
Responding to the comparison with cricket icon Sachin Tendulkar, the CJI, “Like any sport, it is a team effort. Unless all the members of the team do well, it is difficult to win.”
He thanked his colleagues in the collegium, Justices UU Lalit, AM Khanwilkar, DY Chandrachud and L Nageswara Rao, and said that due to their collective efforts, the number of vacancies in the apex court has been brought down to one.
He expressed hope that the Center would soon approve the recommendations sent for appointments to the High Court. Glimpses of the event.
Read also: There is no clarity in laws, says CJI Raman
subscribe our channel youtube And Wire
Why is the news media in crisis and how can you fix it?
India needs free, unbiased, non-hyphenated and questionable journalism even more as it is facing many crises.
But the news media itself is in trouble. There have been brutal layoffs and pay-cuts. The best of journalism are shrinking, yielding to raw prime-time spectacle.
ThePrint has the best young journalists, columnists and editors to work for it. Smart and thinking people like you will have to pay a price to maintain this quality of journalism. Whether you live in India or abroad, you can Here.