Recently, the Supreme Court has directed the Bar Council of India (BCI) to ensure 30% reservation for women in the State Bar Council elections.

• For the current year, the Court has mandated that 20% of the seats be filled through elections of women members, with 10% filled by co-option.

Supreme Court’s Direction

• Reservation for Women: The Supreme Court directed that 30% of seats in State Bar Councils should be occupied by women, in both elected positions and office-bearer roles.
• Constitutional Ethos: The Court emphasized the need for such representation to reflect the constitutional ethos, aligning with gender equality mandates and recent legislative initiatives.
• Operative Rules Amendment: The Bench clarified that the existing rules would be considered amended to include the 30% reservation for women, ensuring compliance for upcoming elections.
• Steps for Compliance: The BCI was directed to submit a report by December 8, 2025, detailing the steps taken for compliance with the Court’s order.

About Bar Council of India

• The Bar Council of India (BCI) is a statutory body established by Parliament to regulate and represent the Indian bar.
• It was founded under the Advocates Act, 1961, following the recommendations of the All India Bar Committee.
• The primary goal of BCI is to protect the rights, interests, and privileges of advocates across India
• Functions of the Bar Council of India
  • Regulatory Functions: BCI prescribes standards for professional conduct and etiquette and has the authority to exercise disciplinary jurisdiction over advocates.
  • Legal Education Standards: The Council sets the standards for legal education and grants recognition to universities offering law degrees that qualify graduates for enrolment as advocates.
  • All India Bar Examination (AIBE): BCI conducts the AIBE to issue a Certificate of Practice to advocates who wish to practice law in India.
• Composition of Bar Council of India
  • Consists of both the elected as well as the ex-officio members. 
  • One member is elected by each SBC from amongst its members.
  • Membership: BCI is composed of members elected from each State Bar Council, along with the Attorney General of India and the Solicitor General of India, who serve as ex-officio members.
  • Term of Membership: Members of the State Bar Councils are elected for a term of five years.
  • The Council has the authority to elect its own Chairman and Vice-Chairman from among its members. Both positions are held for two years.

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Status of Women in the Judiciary

• Representation in Bar Councils: Currently, there is no woman member in the 20-member BCI, and only 9 women represent the 441 members in various State Bar Councils.
• Representation in Higher Judiciary:
• • Since Independence, only 11 women judges (making up just 3.8% of the total judges) have served in the Supreme Court. 
  • According to State of the Judiciary Report (2023), only 13.4% of judges in High Courts are women.
    • It also indicates that 36.3% of women serve in the district judiciary.
  • No state, except for Telangana and Sikkim, has more than 30% women judges in their respective High Courts, according to the Indian Justice Report (2025).
  • High Courts in Manipur, Meghalaya, Tripura, Patna, and Uttarakhand have no women judges.
  • Gujarat High Court is the only one to have a woman Chief Justice.
• Age Disparity in Appointments: Women judges are generally appointed at an older age compared to their male counterparts, with the average age of appointment for women being 53 years, compared to 51.8 years for men.
  • The delay in appointments means that women judges often miss out on opportunities to be part of the Collegium or become Chief Justice of India.
  • The first woman CJI, Justice B. V. Nagarathna, is scheduled to serve for only 36 days in 2027, marking the brief tenure for a woman at the helm of the judiciary.
• Lack of Caste Diversity: There is a complete lack of caste diversity among women judges in the Supreme Court, as no women from the Scheduled Castes or Scheduled Tribes have been appointed.

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