The Lucknow bench of the Allahabad high court has directed the Sultanpur Bar Association to implement 30% reservation for women advocates in its executive committee and governing council. The court ordered that key posts be reserved for women candidates on a rotational basis in successive elections.
A division bench of Justice Rajan Roy and Justice Manjive Shukla passed the order on August 25 on a public interest litigation (PIL) concerning compliance with the Supreme Court’s recent directions in the ‘Deeksha N. Amruthesh v. State of Karnataka’ case regarding representation of women advocates in bar associations.
The high court noted that the Supreme Court had directed that 30% of posts in bar associations, whether in the executive body or governing council, be reserved for women.
A practising advocate and member of the Sultanpur Bar Association, Shashi Mishra, had moved the high court seeking directions after the association allegedly proceeded with elections without providing the requisite reservation for women.
The court directed the Elders’ Committee to immediately issue the election schedule within three days and thereafter hold the elections within three weeks of issuing the schedule.
The court made it clear that the Elders’ Committee was now in charge of conducting the elections and warned that any interference by outgoing office-bearers would be treated as an “affront and contempt of the court”, with proceedings liable to be initiated against them.
The high court ordered that all candidates contesting the Sultanpur Bar Association elections must disclose FIRs or criminal cases lodged or filed against them, along with their outcomes, irrespective of whether the proceedings have concluded or remain pending.
The details are to be made available to voters, while candidates may offer their remarks or explanations regarding the cases, the court said.
The court further directed that any concealment or misrepresentation could result in consideration of cancellation of the candidature or election on that ground, and that corresponding provisions be incorporated in the nomination papers.
