E-Paper
Supreme Court orders 30% seats for women in Punjab and Haryana Bar Council
The bench clarified that all state bar councils where elections had yet to be notified must ensure that 30% of their seats were represented by women advocates
The Supreme Court on Friday ordered giving 30% representation to women advocates in the upcoming Bar Council elections of Punjab and Haryana.
The bench comprising Chief Justice Surya Kant and justice Joymalya Bagchi passed the direction while hearing an application in a pending petition seeking measures to ensure adequate representation of women advocates in state bar councils across the country.
The bench clarified that all state bar councils where elections had yet to be notified must ensure that 30% of their seats were represented by women advocates.
In the case of Punjab and Haryana, it said the election process had not formally commenced and that only the final voter list had been published, making it appropriate to apply the reservation requirement.
In its December 8, 2025, order, the top court had observed that elections of four state bar councils had already been notified and that earmarking seats for women at that advanced stage would not be prudent.
The bench had specifically exempted Andhra Pradesh, Punjab and Haryana from the mandatory reservation on the ground that the election process had commenced.
However, upon reconsideration, the bench found that Punjab and Haryana stood on a different footing as elections had yet to begin.
According to the earlier directions, the bench had ordered that, for the present year, 20% seats in the state bar councils be filled through election of women members, while an additional 10% be filled through co-option.
The bench had also directed that proposals for co-option be placed before it in cases where elected women representatives fell short of the mandated percentage.
During the hearing, senior advocates Manan Kumar Mishra, chairman of the Bar Council of India, and Shobha Gupta appeared in the matter.
