Chief Justice of India N V Ramana on Tuesday said that the inclusion of women as judges and lawyers in the country will substantially improve the justice delivery system as they can bring a different perspective to the law, enriching the legal field, adding that representation of women in all levels within the profession is quite low.
Agreeing to look into the demand of raising their representation to beyond 50 per cent as judges, he stressed the need for removing physical barriers like lack of infrastructure and mental bias among colleagues and litigants towards woman advocates.
"This creates a completely unwelcome atmosphere within courtrooms for women. It is the duty of all lawyers and judges to ensure that a friendly environment is created in courtrooms," he said.
Speaking at a function organised by 'Women in Law and Litigation' to felicitate Justice Hima Kohli, Justice Ramana noted the demand for higher representation of women beyond 50 per cent on the bench in view of backlog. "I promise to take up your demand with my brothers (judges) in the Collegium," he said.
Citing statistics, he said women constitute only around 30 per cent of the judges in the lower judiciary on average. Some states have a good number of women judges, whereas in other states, the representation is abysmal. In High Courts, the percentage of women judges is a mere 11.5 per cent. In the Supreme Court, there are four sitting women judges, out of 33 in office. The situation of women lawyers in the country is not any better, he pointed out, with only 15 per cent women advocates out of 1.7 million.
The CJI also said judicial infrastructure or the lack thereof is another barrier to women in the profession.
Small courtrooms which are crowded and cramped, absence of restrooms, childcare facilities, etc. are all barriers. Nearly 22 per cent of courts in the country did not have washroom facilities, he added.
"All these issues cannot be solved in a day. Many will take years and even generations but it needs to be done. There can be no denying that the inclusion of women as judges and lawyers in the country will substantially improve the justice delivery system. Women can bring a different perspective to the law which will enrich the legal field," he said.
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