The Supreme Court on Tuesday directed that elections for the Advocates Association, Bengaluru (AAB) be held and completed within three weeks..Pertinently, the Court also allowed the creation a new post of vice president for AAB. AAB had had last week cancelled the elections for its governing body, which were scheduled for February 2 this year. The decision was taken after the Supreme Court recently ordered AAB to reserve the post of the Treasurer in its governing body exclusively for women candidates..In continuation of the earlier order, a Bench of Justices Surya Kant and N Kotiswar Singh today said that male candidates who had filed nomination for the post of Treasurer shall be granted one opportunity to switch their nomination to any other post.The nominations for the newly created women candidate posts shall be invited within one week, the Court further directed.."High Powered Committee and Chief returning officer shall conduct the elections accordingly in compliance with increase numbers of office bearers and governing council," the Court ordered..The Court was hearing appeals against the decision of the Karnataka High Court to dismiss the petitions seeking reservation for women lawyers in the AAB. On January 8, the High Court had dismissed a batch of petitions seeking 33 per cent reservation for women advocates in AAB’s governing body.At the time, the High Court had urged the petitioners to approach the Supreme Court since it did not have the power to allow such reservation as the current AAB by-laws did not provide for the same..[Read Order]
The Supreme Court on Tuesday directed that elections for the Advocates Association, Bengaluru (AAB) be held and completed within three weeks..Pertinently, the Court also allowed the creation a new post of vice president for AAB. AAB had had last week cancelled the elections for its governing body, which were scheduled for February 2 this year. The decision was taken after the Supreme Court recently ordered AAB to reserve the post of the Treasurer in its governing body exclusively for women candidates..In continuation of the earlier order, a Bench of Justices Surya Kant and N Kotiswar Singh today said that male candidates who had filed nomination for the post of Treasurer shall be granted one opportunity to switch their nomination to any other post.The nominations for the newly created women candidate posts shall be invited within one week, the Court further directed.."High Powered Committee and Chief returning officer shall conduct the elections accordingly in compliance with increase numbers of office bearers and governing council," the Court ordered..The Court was hearing appeals against the decision of the Karnataka High Court to dismiss the petitions seeking reservation for women lawyers in the AAB. On January 8, the High Court had dismissed a batch of petitions seeking 33 per cent reservation for women advocates in AAB’s governing body.At the time, the High Court had urged the petitioners to approach the Supreme Court since it did not have the power to allow such reservation as the current AAB by-laws did not provide for the same..[Read Order]
