President Ram Nath Kovind advocates greater representation of women in judiciary

Tribune News Service
New Delhi, September 11

President Ram Nath Kovind on Saturday advocated greater representation of women in the judiciary to achieve a just and equitable society.

“If we have to achieve the inclusive ideals of our Constitution, then the role of women in the judiciary also has to be increased…A just society will only be truly achieved when women are represented in the justice system, in addition to all other fields. Today, including the Supreme Court and high courts, there are less than 12 per cent women judges,” the President said at the foundation stone-laying ceremony of the Uttar Pradesh National Law University in Allahabad.

“If we want to achieve the Directive Principles of our Constitution, we must increase the participation of women in the judiciary,” he said, expressing the hope that the number of women lawyers, officials, and judges in the Allahabad High Court would increase.

Maintaining that women have proven to be better equipped and more inclined to impart justice, he said.

“Ordinarily, women have a greater inclination towards justice. There may be certain exceptions to this; however, they have the nature, mentality, and quality to impart justice. Be it parents, in-laws, husband or children- working women maintain a balance amongst all and yet, in their workplace act as examples of excellence,” he said.

He said there was a need to ensure adequate facilities for the subordinate judiciary and increase the number of working judges.

Referring to the Allahabad High Court’s historic decision to enroll India’s first woman lawyer Cornelia Sorabji in 1921, the President termed that decision a forward-looking decision in the direction of women empowerment.

He said last month, a new history was created of the women’s participation in the judiciary with the appointment of nine judges, including three women judges, in the Supreme Court.

The presence of four women judges out of the total 33 judges appointed in the Supreme Court is the highest ever in the history of the judiciary. He said that these appointments have paved the way for a woman Chief Justice of India in future, he noted.

He said, “I have seen the struggle of the poor to access justice from close quarters…Everybody should receive timely justice; the system should be affordable, judgments should be easy for common citizens to understand. Especially women and weaker sections should receive justice, this is our responsibility. This will only be possible when there is a change in the thought process and work culture of all stakeholders associated with the justice system and there is sensitivity.”

The President said: “Everybody has an expectation from the judiciary, but ordinarily people hesitate from seeking judicial intervention. To increase the public faith in the judiciary, we must change this situation”.

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