Chief Justice of India (CJI) Surya Kant, on Saturday said he would ensure concrete results in efforts to improve women’s representation in the legal profession.

Speaking during an interaction at the Oxford Union, Justice Kant responded to a question on the retention and advancement of women lawyers. He acknowledged that while more women were entering the profession, many were unable to sustain long-term careers at the Bar.

The Chief Justice said he was actively working on measures to address the issue and intended to bring about tangible change.

“I can assure you, I am not a person who makes statements only. I know how to deal with also. I am working on it. I will show the outcomes. And I will create some kind of a robust mechanism under which the women not only join the profession, they stay there for a longer period and build real professional capability and show their worth in the legal profession.” he said.

He said the judiciary had witnessed significant progress on the Bench side over the years.

Recalling his tenure as a member and later chairperson of a judicial selection committee in Punjab and Haryana, CJI Kant said the percentage of women judicial officers had risen from around 26-27 per cent to 46 per cent. According to him, women now constitute nearly 47-48 per cent of the district judiciary across several States.

He also pointed to the increasing presence of women judges in the higher judiciary.

“I have been able to appoint in my very first turn one woman judge in the Supreme Court also,” he said, referring to the recent elevation of Justice V Mohana to the Supreme Court.

The CJI said the larger challenge lay on the Bar side. Referring to a conference organised by the Supreme Court Bar Association in Bengaluru earlier this year, he said one of the solutions discussed was ensuring greater representation of women among government law officers and counsel.

“It was in that context that I said one of the best ways for sustaining the women in legal profession is to ensure 50 per cent of their appointments as law officers or government counsels,” he said.

The Chief Justice also referred to directions issued regarding reservation for women in Bar Associations and Bar Councils. He said he had warned that action would be taken if such measures were not implemented in letter and spirit.

During the interaction, Justice Kant also addressed concerns regarding the Supreme Court’s case pendency.

He disagreed with suggestions that it would take centuries to clear the Court’s backlog. The Chief Justice said the current pendency was manageable and expressed confidence that ongoing reforms would produce visible results.

“I do not agree that it would take such a long journey to finish and eliminate those arrears. I can assure you that by the end of this year, I will bring some concrete and authenticated figures that how the arrears can also be addressed...And I am quite confident that the outcome of this year will become a benchmark for the coming years” he said.

He added that increasing the Court’s judge strength was one of the measures being pursued.

“On my request, the strength has been increased, and now we are at 38 judges,” he said.

Justice Kant also highlighted other measures being adopted to reduce case pendency, including grouping similar matters for disposal through common judgments, encouraging mediation and implementing a national judicial policy to ensure consistency in decision-making.

Another important factor, he said, was the growing contribution of young lawyers.

Justice Kant said younger members of the Bar had been providing high-quality assistance to the Court, particularly in matters where senior counsel may not always be available.

“I am getting immense support from the young members of the Bar. It is something really very heartening, very encouraging,” he said.

Referring to the recent hearings before a nine-judge Bench in the Sabarimala case, the Chief Justice said young advocates on both sides had demonstrated exceptional ability despite the presence of some of the country’s leading lawyers.

According to him, the Supreme Court is planning special efforts to resolve disputes that can be settled amicably and is exploring multiple mechanisms to arrest fresh accumulation of cases while disposing of older matters.

The Chief Justice also stressed that not every pending matter should be treated as an “arrear.”

A newly filed case, he explained, enters the pendency statistics immediately, even though procedural steps such as issuance of notice, filing of replies and completion of pleadings may still be underway.

“If you exclude those matters, the pendency is, I can say, a manageable thing,” he said.

The CJI expressed confidence that the steps currently being implemented would help address pendency effectively and serve as a benchmark for the years ahead.

The CJI delivered his address at the Oxford Union on Saturday, and the event was organised by the Oxford Law Society and the Oxford Union along with Tanvi Dubey, Advocate on Record at Oxford University.

The CJI’s address was on the topic “Constitutional Promise to Digital Reality: Safeguarding Justice in the Age of AI and technological advancement.”