Institutions built for men must be redesigned to support women in law: Supreme Court Justice PS Narasimha

Supreme Court Justice PS Narasimha on Sunday said that many legal institutions were historically structured around the needs of men and must now be redesigned to better support women in the profession..He said improving women’s representation in the judiciary requires structural changes within institutions, not merely increasing numbers.“All institutions are built for man’s purposes. So how are we upgrading the institutions?” he asked. .Justice Narasimha was speaking at the first National Conference of Indian Women in Law themed “Half the Nation – Half the Bench”, organised in the Supreme Court by Senior Advocates Shobha Gupta and Mahalakshmi Pavani on the occasion of International Women’s Day..Speaking about gender imbalance in the legal profession, Justice Narasimha said institutional systems were originally shaped with male career patterns in mind.He emphasised that institutions must create support systems to help women lawyers sustain long careers in litigation.The judge suggested measures such as creche facilities, earlier publication of cause lists and other institutional support mechanisms.“Having a creche, early cause list etc are institutional support. Capabilities are there, but now is the time we need to have policy decisions where a minimum number needs to be set for women law officers and judges,” he said..Justice Narasimha explained that the gender gap begins much earlier than the stage of judicial appointments. According to him, the difference emerges at multiple points in a woman’s legal career.He said the challenge starts from the stage when women choose to study law and continues through enrolment and years of legal practice required before becoming eligible for judicial appointment.“The difference is made right at the inception. Right from when a girl makes a choice to pursue law. Then stage to go for law school and thereafter enrolment and after 20 years of practice you are considered as a judge. This needs support,” he said..He also stressed that talent identification within the legal profession must improve.Justice Narasimha said women lawyers should not have to lobby for recognition or judicial appointments and that institutions must actively identify and encourage talent.“We need to have talent discovery mechanisms. Women members should not have to lobby. Even men should not have to lobby. That is why upgradation of the institution is needed,” he said..Justice Narasimha was part of a panel discussion titled “Bridge the Gap – Balance the Bench,” which examined gender gaps in judicial appointments and ways to create a more inclusive legal ecosystem.The panel also included Supreme Court Justice Vijay Bishnoi, Telangana High Court Justice Moushumi Bhattacharya, Chief Justice of Meghalaya High Court Revati Mohite Dere and Orissa High Court Justice Savitri Ratho.The session was moderated by Senior Advocates Jayna Kothari and Haripriya Padmanabhan..[Read Live Coverage].Follow Bar and Bench channel on WhatsAppDownload the Bar and Bench Mobile app for instant access to the latest legal news.