The Supreme Court on Thursday asked the Bar Council of India to ensure 30 per cent reservation for women in the upcoming state bar council elections.

The direction came during the hearing of a petition seeking mandatory women's representation in state bar councils.

The Bar Council of India informed the bench of Chief Justice Surya Kant and Justice Joymalya Bagchi that implementing such reservation would require amendments to the Advocates Act.

Senior advocate Gurukumar, appearing for the BCI, also told the court that several state bar council election processes had already begun, making immediate changes difficult.

"We expect that the BCI will construe the rules in such a manner that it will ensure 30 percent reservation in State Bar Councils; such a position should also be available for some posts of office bearers," CJI Kant said.

When the BCI expressed uncertainty over whether a sufficient number of women lawyers would contest, the court referred to a workshop held by the Supreme Court Bar Association based on a survey among women lawyers.

"You were not there in yesterday's workshop. 83 per cent of the women want to be members in the SCBA," the CJI said.

The bench was hearing pleas filed by Yogamaya MG and Shehla Chaudhary seeking reservation of one third of the seats for women in all state bar councils.

They also sought that at least one office bearer post be reserved for women lawyers on a rotational basis.

The pleas relied on a 2 May, 2024 order of the Supreme Court directing one third reservation for women in the executive committee of the SCBA including one office bearer post.