'Reserve secretary post for women candidates': Supreme Court fixes May 20 for SCBA polls

New Delhi: The Supreme Court on Tuesday set May 20 for holding the top court bar association's elections on the basis of the voter list finalised in 2024.

A bench of Justices Surya Kant and N Kotiswar Singh directed that in the polls, the secretary post of the Supreme Court Bar Association (SCBA) should be "exclusively reserved for women lawyers" in addition to the one-third reservation of seats for women in the executive committee.

The top court clarified that lawyers who had acquired eligibility as on February 28, would be entitled to be included in the voter list for the 2025 polls of the SCBA.

The counting of votes would start after the polling gets over with results on May 21, it added.

The bench directed a report of former apex court judge L Nageshwara Rao, who was appointed by the top court for suggesting reforms in the bye-laws, should be uploaded on the SCBA website.

"No challenge to the report will be entertained. However, suggestions of members will be welcomed," the bench said.

During the hearing, the top court said it might not be possible to implement the report's recommendations as the tenure of the existing SCBA executive committee was coming to an end on May 19.

The bench made it clear to the bar members that it will not direct the implementation of the report without hearing the views of the SCBA.

"For this election, we can continue as per the past practice. But for future polls, we need assistance on why SCBA elections cannot be held on the same day as that of HC, district courts," Justice Kant said.

In May, last year, the top court in a first directed for reserving one-third seats for women lawyers.

The same formula of reserving seats for women lawyers was subsequently followed in Delhi High Court Bar Association, Delhi courts bar associations, Bengaluru Bar Associations and other bar bodies in the country.