The Supreme Court on Monday reserved the post of Vice President in the 2026 elections of the Supreme Court Bar Association (SCBA) for women advocates.
The Bench of Chief Justice of India Surya Kant and Justice KV Viswanathan further ordered that some other Executive Committee posts should be set aside for women candidates.
The Apex Court directed that the current Executive Committee of the SCBA to appoint an Election Committee by May 29.
The Election Committee must then announce the election schedule by July 13, when the Court reopens after vacation. The entire election process has to be completed and results declared by August, and the new Executive Committee will take charge on August 7.
The decision was taken after the SCBA, represented by Senior Advocate Vikas Singh, agreed to reserve the post. The Court appreciated the cooperation shown by the association and noted that it has generally supported such steps.
The Bench said that the decision was part of a gradual effort to increase representation of women in the SCBA. Earlier, the Court had directed that the posts of Treasurer and Secretary be reserved for women. It also noted that the association has not had a woman President so far.
In 2024, the top court of the country had ordered that at least one-third of posts in the SCBA Executive Committees should be reserved for women. This included reservation in both junior and senior executive bodies.
Similar steps have also been taken in Bar Associations across the country, where certain posts and a portion of committee positions have been reserved for women advocates.
Recently, the Court also directed that some posts in the Supreme Court Advocates-on-Record Association elections be reserved for women Advocates-on-Record (AORs).