In a landmark step towards gender balance in the legal profession, the Supreme Court on Thursday directed that women should occupy at least 30% of seats in every State Bar Council across the country, including leadership roles.
The court said the Bar Council of India must interpret its existing rules in a way that ensures meaningful representation for women, treating them as updated to meet this requirement. It stressed that women&rsquo;s participation should not be limited to membership alone, but must also include key decision-making posts.
The judges said the move reflects the country&rsquo;s constitutional values and the broader push towards equality in public institutions. They made it clear that the new requirement must be followed across all states without delay and asked for a detailed report on compliance by early December.
The direction came after concerns were raised over the near-complete absence of women in Bar Council governance, despite a growing number of women entering the legal profession. Petitioners highlighted that women currently make up just over 2% of elected representatives in State Bar Councils nationwide.
Data placed before the court showed that most State Bar Councils have no women members at all, and that the national Bar Council has never had a woman representative since it was formed more than six decades ago.
Those seeking reform argued that the existing electoral system has allowed this imbalance to persist and warned that upcoming Bar Council elections would again leave women excluded for several more years unless corrective steps were taken now.
The court agreed that such a wide gender gap could not be ignored and said structured representation was necessary to break the cycle of exclusion. The matter will be reviewed again next month, when the Bar Council of India is expected to explain how it plans to implement the directive.

30% of Bar Council Seats to Be Held by Women

Supreme Court pushes for gender balance, ends male dominance in Bar Council leadership

30% of Bar Council Seats to Be Held by Women

Supreme Court pushes for gender balance, ends male dominance in Bar Council leadership

December 5, 2025 | 01:54 IST