Supreme Court Proposes Permanent Women-Only Vice-President Post in SCBA from 2027-28

Overview

On  8 May 2026 , the Supreme Court of India proposed creating a  permanent women-only Vice-President post  in the  Supreme Court Bar Association (SCBA) . This will start from the  2027-28 election cycle . The court wants more women advocates in leadership roles. The proposal came during hearings on bar body reforms and women’s representation in the legal profession.

What Is the Supreme Court’s New Proposal?

On  8 May 2026 , the Supreme Court asked the  SCBA General Body Meeting  to consider adding a new  Vice-President post . This post will be reserved  only for women . It will be a  permanent  post starting from the  2027-28 election cycle . The goal is to increase the number of women advocates in the leadership of the SCBA.

Why Is This in the News?

The proposal came up during court hearings on  bar body reforms  and  women’s representation  in the legal profession. The court talked about giving reserved posts to women in the SCBA’s elected leadership. This is an important step because fewer women hold top positions in bar associations.

What Is the Supreme Court Bar Association (SCBA)?

The SCBA is the official body of lawyers who practise in the Supreme Court of India. Every year, the SCBA holds elections to choose its office-bearers.

Main office-bearer posts in SCBA:

• President

• Vice-President

• Secretary

• Executive Committee Members

What Exactly Did the Supreme Court Propose?

The court suggested creating an  additional Vice-President position . This position will be  reserved for women permanently . It will start from the  2027-28 election cycle . The court directed the SCBA General Body to formally consider this proposal. This is part of a larger effort to bring reforms in legal bodies.

What About the 2026-27 Elections?

There is a separate order for the  2026-27 elections . On  27 April 2026 , the Supreme Court had first reserved the  Vice-President post for women  for 2026-27. But some women lawyers objected. They said the Secretary’s post is more important. So the court restored the  earlier arrangement .

Reserved posts for women in 2026-27 (restored arrangement):

• Secretary’s post

• Two posts in the Senior Executive Committee

• Three posts in the Executive Committee

This means for 2026-27, women will have these reserved posts, not the Vice-President post.

What Concerns Did Women Lawyers Raise?

Seven women members of the SCBA, including  R Shase  and  Savita Devi ,