In a decisive move to address the historical gender imbalance within the legal profession’s governing bodies, the Supreme Court on Monday declared that reserving 30 percent of seats for women in all State Bar Councils is “non-negotiable.” The Court directed that wherever ongoing election processes make immediate implementation through direct polls difficult, the mandatory quota must be fulfilled through the mechanism of co-option.

A Bench comprising Chief Justice of India (CJI) Surya Kant and Justice Joymalya Bagchi emphasized that the Bar Council of India (BCI) bears the responsibility to ensure that women advocates ultimately occupy at least 30 percent of the total seats in every State Bar Council across the nation.

Implementation Amidst Ongoing Elections

The Court addressed pract

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