Was a joke: Former SC judge Katju apologises for ‘winking’ remarks

Having made a misogynistic remark about women lawyers on social media, former Supreme Court judge Markandey Katju on Friday issued a public apology after the Supreme Court Women Lawyers’ Association (SCWLA) condemned it.

“I hereby apologise for posting on Facebook that lady lawyers who winked at me got favourable orders. It was said as a joke, and, in fact, I deleted the post shortly after it was posted. However, it seems many lady lawyers took it seriously and felt hurt. So I apologise, as demanded by the Supreme Court Women Lawyers’ Association,” Justice Katju posted on Facebook and X.

Earlier in the day, the SCWLA issued a statement that such remarks were a deep assault on “the dignity, credibility, competence, integrity and professional standing of every woman in the legal fraternity”.

Such remarks not only belittle the years of hard work and dedication women lawyers put in to build their careers, but also attempt to damage the public image of the judiciary, the SCWLA said.

Justice Katju, who served as a Supreme Court judge between April 2006 and September 2011, often courts controversies and was forced to tender an unconditional apology before the top court in 2017 to save himself in a contempt of court case.