Current Affairs

Can a justice system without women can deliver justice to women ?

State of Women in Judiciary
1. Last 70 years, no significant attempt has been made to provide adequate representation for women.
2. Only 11 women judges on the Supreme Court since its inception, and no women Chief Justices.
3. Just 83 of the 680 judges in the high courts are women.
4. Only 30% of subordinate judges are female.
5.There are three women judges in the top court at present including Justice Kohli, B V Nagarathna, and Trivedi.
6.Justice Nagarathna is also set to become first woman Chief Justice in 2027.
7. The first all-women bench was set up in 2013 when a bench of Justices Gyan Sudha Misra and Ranjana Prakash Desai was constituted followed by a bench of Justices R Banumathi and Indira Banerjee in 2018.

Reasons for Low Women Representatives

1.Patriarchy in Society
2. Opaque Collegium System Functioning
3.No Women Reservation
4. Familial Responsibilities
5. Not Enough Women in Litigation
6.Judicial Infrastructure

Why is High Women's Representation Important

1.Will substantially improve the justice delivery system.
2.Bring to the law a different perspective, one that is built upon their experience.
3.They also have a more nuanced understanding of the differing impacts
4. Enhance the legitimacy of courts, sending a powerful signal that they are open and accessible to those who seek recourse to justice.
5.To take a balanced and empathic approach to cases surrounding sexual violence.