Former Supreme Court judge Markandey Katju has issued a public apology after facing strong condemnation from the Supreme Court Women Lawyers Association (SCWLA) over remarks he made about women lawyers.

Katju had written on Facebook that women lawyers who “winked” at him in court received favourable orders. Though he deleted the post shortly after publishing it, the statement drew immediate criticism from the legal fraternity.

The Supreme Court Women Lawyer's Association (SCWLA) released a detailed statement on August 22 describing the remarks as misogynistic and deeply damaging to the profession.

“The Supreme Court Women Lawyers Association unequivocally condemns the misogynistic remarks made by retired Justice Markandey Katju, who suggested that women lawyers could secure favourable judicial orders by ‘winking’ at the judge. Such comments are not merely offensive but an assault on the dignity, credibility, competence, integrity and professional standing of every woman in the legal fraternity,” the Association said.

The Association stressed that trivialising women’s work in the profession was particularly unbecoming when it came from a former judge of the Supreme Court.

“It is deeply disturbing that a former judge of the Supreme Court, who was once entrusted with the responsibility of upholding constitutional values, would trivialize the hard work and merit of women lawyers through casual sexism. His words not only demean women advocates but also erode public confidence in the impartiality of the justice system and perpetuate harmful stereotypes that have no place in a democratic society. Coming from a former judge of the Supreme Court, they are particularly shocking and unbecoming of the dignity associated with constitutional office,” the Association said.

It also called upon the wider legal community to confront and reject such attitudes.

“The Association demands an unconditional public apology from Mr. Katju. Further, we call upon the legal community at large to reject and censure such regressive attitudes which undermine both gender equality and the integrity of our judicial institutions,” it stated.

Later in the day (August 22), Katju issued an apology on his Facebook and X handles.

“I hereby apologize for posting on fb 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 apologize, as demanded by the Supreme Court Women Lawyers Association,” he wrote.