In ‘unison’, Delhi HC bar body rejects proposal to reserve seats for women lawyers as office bearers

In an affidavit dated November 5, DHCBA, done its honorary caput Sandeep Sharma, submitted that “there is nary rationale successful seeking a higher proportionality of seats successful the enforcement committee of the DHCBA” arsenic “lady members represent lone astir 22% of the full spot of the DHCBA”.

It further submitted it is an “association of lawyers” and an autonomous and autarkic assemblage permitted to relation arsenic per its ain rules and bylaws, and “it is simply a settled presumption of instrumentality that determination tin beryllium nary preservation successful specified a backstage association”.

“Further, DHCBA has ever reserved a station of ‘Lady Member Executive’ successful its Executive Committee. Moreover, adjacent otherwise, connected its ain strength, Executive Committee of the DHCBA has comprised 3 to 5 (women)… of 15 members, thereby, constituting up to 20-33% of its full strength,” it submitted.

Citing representations from Bar members seeking preservation for SC/ ST arsenic good arsenic for otherwise abled lawyers successful DHCBA’s bureau bearers’ posts, the Association further submitted specified preservation for women “shall person consequences”.

“It is evident this measurement of reserving a station for immoderate peculiar people oregon class of members shall person consequences which volition render the moving of the Association difficult. This would pb to different classes and categories coming guardant and seeking akin relief. The Association, which was formed successful 1962, has worked to day successful implicit harmony and has… perpetually and organically evolved successful aligning itself with the ever-changing aspirations of its members, without appeasement of immoderate peculiar people of members,” it stated.

It argued, “members of DHCBA judge enactment of candidates should beryllium purely merit-based…”

“Female members of the barroom are competent, meritorious and well-deserving. DHCBA has produced the largest fig of pistillate advocates successful the state who person been straight elevated to the Bench of the Hon’ble High Court of Delhi, which, successful turn, has often boasted of having the highest fig of pistillate judges connected its Bench astatine a fixed constituent of time,” DHCBA contended.

The wide assemblage gathering of DHCBA was held connected October 7 wherever the docket was circulated connected whether the members were successful favour of immoderate preservation for women successful the enforcement committee. Minutes of the gathering authorities that the members “in unison rejected the docket and everybody raised (their) dependable against this docket that they were not successful favour of immoderate preservation and the seats successful the enforcement committee of DHCBA”.
This was pursuing the SC’s directions connected September 26 to the DHCBA to convene a wide assemblage gathering and see the question of reservation.

The SC is owed to see the substance adjacent connected November 19.