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Legal profession feudalistic, not welcoming of women: CJI Chandrachud
The legal profession is feudalistic and unwelcoming of women, CJI Dhananjaya Y Chandrachud said on Wednesday, as he received the Award for Global Leadership presented by the Centre on the Legal Profession at Harvard Law School.
The legal profession is feudalistic and unwelcoming of women, Chief Justice of India (CJI) Dhananjaya Y Chandrachud said on Wednesday, as he received the Award for Global Leadership presented by the Centre on the Legal Profession at Harvard Law School.
“Unfortunately, the legal profession has been feudalistic and hasn’t been welcoming of women and marginalised communities,” CJI Chandrachud said, during a conversation with David B Wilkins, the director of the Centre at Harvard.
The CJI is an alumnus of Harvard law School from where he obtained his Doctorate in Juridical Sciences.
CJI Chandrachud said he is often asked why the number of women judges in the Supreme Court is low.
Explaining the reasons, he said: “The answer to it lies in the profession it was three decades ago. The pool of judges coming to the Supreme Court is from a pool which dates back to three decades ago.”
“So many of my (law) clerks have no family contact with the law and the challenge is how do we mentor them,” he said, adding, “Law schools by democratising access to legal education will play a vital role in changing that.”
This alone can ensure a more inclusive society, he said.
