Chief Justice of India Surya Kant on Sunday (March 8, 2026) called for greater institutional reforms in the judiciary to bring more women into the legal field, saying collegiums of high courts should consider deserving women at the bar as the norm, not the exception.
Speaking at the event, the Chief Justice of India (CJI) emphasized that members of the Bar must recognize and accept a simple reality: women members do not seek concessions.
“They are striving for fair and adequate representation, which has been the case for a long time. Only when the profession itself internalizes this truth will the path to the bench become clearer,” he said to applause from female lawyers and members of the judiciary at the first national conference of Indian women in law on the theme “Half the Nation – Half the Bench Bridges the Gap – Balance the Bench.”
The CJI asked the Supreme Court collegiums to widen the zone of their consideration to include women advocates from their states practicing in the Supreme Court for promotion.
CJI Kant said that if progress is to be meaningful, it must be institutionalized. The story should not be that one individual secured greater representation, but that the Supreme Court and high courts across the country consciously incorporated fairness into their processes.
“We must all understand that reform of this nature is not an event, it is an ongoing process. Cultivating institutional justice requires perseverance beyond individual terms and personalities. It may not be fully realized during my term, or during the term of my sister or brother judges. But that cannot and should not determine the depth of our commitment,” he said.
CJI Kant added that when this happens, representation will no longer depend on personalities or moments of determination – it will be anchored in the fabric of the institution itself, and that, after all, is the way to make lasting change.
He said the area of reform lies with the High Courts and they must realize that the moment for judicious action is not in the future but now.
“Where suitable, deserving women members of the Bar are available, their consideration should not be the exception; it should be the norm. And where suitable candidates in a certain age group are not immediately available in some High Courts or Districts, this should not be a hindrance. I earnestly request the High Courts to widen the scope of their consideration to include women advocates practicing in the Supreme Court.
Senior advocates Shobha Gupta and Mahalakshmi Pavani, who are associated with ‘Indian Women in Law’, welcomed the guests. Among them were former CJI NV Ramana and other serving judges of the apex court, including Justice BV Nagarathna and Ujjal Bhuyan.
The CJI pointed out that several women are currently serving as Chief Justices of various High Courts and the Punjab and Haryana High Court has as many as 18 sitting women judges.
Similarly, the Madras and Bombay High Courts also have about a dozen women judges each, he said.
Equally significant, CJI Kant pointed out, is the encouraging scenario in the district judiciary, which offers perhaps the clearest indication of what lies ahead.
“With women making up approximately 36.3% of the court clerk workforce at the district level, the foundation continues to grow.
“My friends, this is not a simple statistic, I would say that it reflects a generational shift. If we are talking about the oil pipeline, this is where it is visibly expanding. And when the base of the system reflects greater inclusion, it is only a matter of time before that power manifests itself in the higher judiciary,” he said.
The CJI said that this development indicates that the momentum has started and the environment has been created.
“And with ever-increasing numbers of women entering and excelling in the legal profession, it is both natural and necessary that their presence on the bench grow commensurately. Yet we must guard against complacency. While the momentum is encouraging, it is not complete,” he said.
At the outset, CJI Kant praised the journey of women in legal fields, saying, “It is worth remembering that barely a hundred years ago, under a regressive colonial regime, women in this country were not even allowed to practice law. The distance they have traveled since then has been substantial, but not accidental.”
He said women often bring different insights shaped by how the law works in homes, workplaces and everyday realities, and as a result, their presence not only adds diversity to the bench, but deepens the court’s engagement with the society it serves.
“Over time, the legal profession has unwittingly created a work climate that disproportionately imposes invisible costs on women. From late-night briefings and inadequate equipment to unreported workplace bias and repeated questioning of authority. These are everyday realities that I’m sure you all know all too well.”
“And yet, despite this burden, countless great women have excelled in the profession because they believe in its ethos,” he said.
CJI Kant said that every woman who takes her place on the bench sends a clear message to those who still face these obstacles that your perseverance is not invisible and not in vain.
Published – 10 March 2026 07:53 IST
