SCBA expresses strong disappointment over appointment of no woman judge in Supreme Court since 2021

New Delhi: Supreme Court Bar Association (SCBA) on Saturday expressed its strong disappointment that in the recent round of appointments to the Supreme Court, no woman judge from the Bar or the bench was elevated, despite the fact that since 2021, no woman Judge has been appointed to the Supreme Court.

Notably, at present, there is only one-woman judge in Justice B V Nagarathna, serving on the bench of the Supreme Court. Justice Nagarathna has recently dissented on Collegium's decision to appointment then Patna High Court's Chief Justice Vipul M Pancholi as judge of the top court.

Justice Pancholi is in line to the Chief Justice of India from October 3, 2031 to May 27, 2033.

In a resolution, the SCBA noted with grave concern the disproportionately low representation of women judges in the Supreme Court and in the High Courts across the country.

It pointed out that it is a matter of record that several High Courts such as Uttarakhand, Tripura, Meghalaya and Manipur presently have no women Judges, and that across the country there are about 1100 sanctioned posts of High Court Judges, out of which nearly 670 are occupied by men and only 103 by women.

SCBA President, Vikas Singh, in his letters on May 24, 2025 and July 18, 2025 addressed to the Chief Justice of India, had urged that at least proportional representation to the posts in the higher judiciary, including the Supreme Court and the High Courts, be filled by women.

It emphasised that greater gender balance on the bench is essential not only for ensuring fair and equal representation but also for strengthening public confidence in the judiciary, enriching judicial perspectives, and reflecting the diversity of our society in the highest institution of justice.

It urged the Chief Justice of India and the Collegium to give due consideration to the judicial appointments and elevation of more women judges in the forthcoming rounds of judicial appointments, both to the Supreme Court and the High Courts.

In 2021, three women judges, Justices Hima Kohli, Bela M Trivedi and Nagarathna were appointed to the Supreme Court. Justices Kohli and Trivedi have already superannuated.

In the latest appointments, senior women judges in High Courts were said to have been ignored despite their seniority to Justice Pancholi.