Thread by @barandbench

Lady Advocates of Supreme Court of India to felicitate Chief Justice of India NV Ramana and judges of the top court. The event will start at 11 am
#SupremeCourt

The event will be live-streamed here:

CJI NV Ramana is the Chief Guest of the event
Justice Indira Banerjee is the Guest of Honour
#supremecourt

CJI NV Ramana arrives
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Justice Indira Banerjee being felicitated #supremecourt

Senior Advocate Pinky Anand delivers the introductory address: in this COVID period, we lawyers were deprived to interact with each other. This event has given us the opportunity to get the chance again.

Anand: Thank you CJI, for not only appointing the nine judges but also having three women judges in the Supreme Court.

Anand: Justice Indira Banerjee has led the way for us and we take great pride since #SupremeCourt has taken big steps in case disposal area and engaging in matters of human rights and engaging in matters of policy.

Anand: I have an issue with women lawyers being a separate category, we want engagement and representation but we want to be a part of the whole. I was looking across nine judges and i had been with some of them for some time in my life

Anand: I remember my interactions with Justice Hima Kohli, Justice BV Nagarathna who also hails from campus law centre (our pre national law school days). I also remember my interaction with Justice PS Narasimha...

Anand: CJI was recently at Orissa and he was speaking of Indianisation of justice and that is the way we are looking ahead. Now please CJI open the court, we cannot take it anymore.

Justice Hima Kohli at the event #supremecourt

Sr Adv Mahalakshmi Pavani introduces CJI NV Ramana: CJI Ramana is a staunch advocate for liberty and rights of the deprived. He also went to Rohini court to take stock of the situation. This showed he is a people's man. #supremecourt @Adv_Mahalakshmi

Pavani: Only 4.2% of women have been appointed as judges in the #SupremeCourt till now. My thoughts on the representation of women resonates with that of Chief Justice of India. We represent half of India's population then why don't we represent half of India's judges.

Pavani: My prayer remains that please consider elevating Supreme Court women lawyers to other high courts as judges.

Pavani: We look up to you to intimate change, many colleagues of mine lost chance as they faced backlash from high court bar associations where their names were recommended. I was also among them. @Adv_Mahalakshmi #supremecourt

Pavani: Under your leadership, we feel safe to voice our concerns.

Pavani: CJI had once stated that he is no Tendulkar, but I would like to say that the collegium under CJI Ramana is even better than Sachin Tendulkar. #supremecourt

CJI NV Ramana being felicitated by Sr Adv Pavani as Justice Indira Banerjee looks on
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Sr Adv Vibha Dutta Makhija introduces Justice Indira Banerjee: She has led the way and made space for a lot of women to join the profession. She joined Calcutta High Court in 1980s when family members discouraged women to join the male bastion of legal profession

ASG Aishwarya Bhati introduces Justice Vikram Nath: Truth is the highest dharma is what Justice Nath at his farewell at Gujarat HC. The farewell was a symbol of affection showed the admiration earned of the the Bar & Bench. We have followed his judgments on human liberty

Adv Priya Hingorani: Justice Hima Kohli, when she was leaving Telangana High Court as the first woman Chief Justice, she spoke of the sacrifices her mother and her sister made for her to be in the profession shows how blessed she is. Welcome to this beautiful institution & bar

Sr Adv Kiran Suri: I had my first case in #SupremeCourt before Justice Venkataramaiah. He had dismissed the SLP. He recorded that counsel argued at length. I said that the line was wrong, the he said lets make it correct. He heard me and then issued notice

Sr Adv Suri: we expect the same from Justice BV Nagarathna

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Justice JK Maheshwari had disposed off 4500 cases in Andhra Pradesh High Court. He had helped open a COVID hospital attached under SARFARESI Act. Justice Maheshwari had held citizen had the freedom to choose their language for education: Introduction

Even in Sikkim HC, Justice Maheshwari has addressed issues like ground water and condition of elderly homes. It is hardwork that he is here today: Introduction

Sr Adv V Mohana introduces Justice CT Ravikumar: I have some roots in Kerala and I am honoured to introduce Justice Ravikumar from God's Own Country. He is a man well entrenched in his morals and principles

Sr Adv Meenakshi Arora introduces Justice Bela M Trivedi: Justice Trivedi is a disciplinarian. In the HC govt had said that they cannot control covid and they said they were not China and not democracy. She directed govt to take all steps and control the situation.

Sr Adv Arora: Gujarat Govt had imposed a ₹1,000 fine for not wearing the mask. Petitions were filed, but Justice Trivedi said mask was the only weapon unless the people were vaccinated. She is a Gandhian by heart.

Sr Adv Arora: I don't like to call ourselves as lady judges or lawyers. We are one amongst equals. You experience in lower judiciary will help a lot here. You are a role model Justice Trivedi #SupremeCourt

Sr Adv Anitha Shenoy introduces Justice PS Naramsimha: He is the 9th advocate to be elevated from the bar to the bench. He was a favourite amicus. You name a matter and he was appointed an amicus curiae.

Shenoy: one of the highlights in his career was when he was appointed as an amicus in the Godavarman case. He argued from polluter pays principle to the more recent eco centricism issue. He lent his voice for manual scavengers in Safai Karmchari case.

CJI NV Ramana begins his address: I am a little disappointed since I expected at least 200 to 300 women lawyers.

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CJI: I want to remind all of you that workers of the world unite then there is nothing to lose, when women unite then you have nothing to lose but your choice.

CJI: 50 percent reservation is a matter of right and no one is going to give charity. With help of all of you ..We may reach this goal in apex court and others court. I don't know whether i will be here or somewhere else, that day i will definitely be happy.

CJI: After coming back yersterday night from Odisha, i collected some information on our system, in subordinarte court women judges less than 40 percent, in high court it is less than 11 percent and same in Supreme Court. 2 percent in elected state bar councils.

CJI: I told BCI chairman why no lady in the bar associations and i stressed that there is urgent need of remedy. Lack of washrooms, creches, sitting places, work environment etc are the issues that plague women

CJI: The National Judicial Infrastructure project looks at this and that is why i am forcing certain issues to executive. The issue of senior advocates is there and after the demise of Soli Sorabjee we have to fill a position..

CJI: Many lawyers are not preferring physical hearing and senior counsels have some issues, young lawyers are coming, Vikas Singh had pointed to issues of SOP and we will make it more liberal. we will take medical advice and ensure there are no 3rd or 4th waves..

CJI: Hopefully after Dusseshra vacation we will have physical hearings. Judges have no problem with physical courts mind you.

CJI: Today is the daughter's day and we wish you a very happy daughter's day. Of course its American, but we celebrate certain good things across the world. I strongly support the idea of reservation of seats for women across law schools in the country.

CJI: I hope more women join the profession and we achieve the 50 percent mark for women in the judiciary soon.
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Justice BV Nagarathna: We have been exposed to one zone or region and now being exposed to entire country is a great moment. What unifies all of us is the Indian constitution, rule of law and commitment to rule of law from not only bar but the bench too.

Justice Nagarathna: What happened in 2008 i was the first woman judge in Karnataka HC, i may become the first woman chief justice of India with all your blessings. Retention of women at the bar is a critical aspect. Advancement of women to higher echelons is another issue

Justice Nagarathna: My advice to women lawyers is to engage with all branches of law. The best way to discover is our passions and the form is delivering to others is service. Legal profession is such a service

Justice Bela M Trivedi: Last week me and Justice Vikram Nath was at Gujarat, i said we dont have genders when are on the bench but i do have a soft corner for the working woman, its not because they are weak but the struggle they go through..

Justice Hima Kohli: At least 50 percent of you here are ones with whom i interacted in Delhi HC or bestowed seniorship on some of you. the narrow paths that we carved in 80s have become highways now, that's why we have ASGs like Pinky Anand and Aishwarya Bhati

Justice Kohli: Be the light to lighten. Felicitations are important to make others realize that what all can one achieve. As a Chief Justice of a state recommending even half a dozen judges is difficult, so this 9 judges elevation is a history.

Justice Kohli: We hope to give some sensitivity to issues which a woman can. Not saying males are not sensitive and heartening to see how sensitive they are.

Justice Kohli: I am grateful this is not virtual. How can these emotions be expressed virtually? I am grateful this is physical.

Justice PS Narasimha: Monday's causelist has 17 courts and i so wish i was on the other side running from court to court with briefs. I haven't got over this habit of a lawyer and i sleep as a judge and wake up as a lawyer.

Justice Narasimha: It had struck me that decolonization is a constitutional mission for us following CJI's speech and how so many laws need a re-look. I could immediately connect with the vision of CJI NV Ramana

Justice Narasimha: there are certai abilities which a woman naturally grows whether in context of family and profession and we as men are envious of how you manage this. 50 percent is not a ceiling at all and we will not stop there. issue is merit and there is deficiency of merit

Justice Narasimha: it would be a higher honour for me to become the Chief Justice of India taking over from the first woman Chief Justice of India

Read choice as chains*. Error regretted.

Sr Adv Anjana Prakash reads the message sent from Sr Adv Indira Jaising @IJaising : I was asked a woman must head interna complaints committee and i had to say there are no woman judges after justice Ruma Pal until 2010.

.@IJaising : women litigants feel a level of comfort when they see women judges on the bench, equity is about recognizing the talent of women coming into the profession larger than numbers of men

Jaising: glass ceiling does not have to be shattered so that we can see shattered glasses or power but to open the doors to equality
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ASG Madhavi Divan: I should inform CJI that he has been issued mandamus by Sr Adv Pavani as contempt may be issued if mandamus is not obeyed. With your words we see light at the end of the tunnel

Divan: i love to listen to the different accents of English here....#SupremeCourt is a mini India and its the magic and beauty of India that you see in India...there are cracks in the glass ceiling.

Divan: I was ashamed when Chief Justice of Kenya pointed out on a visit that we had only one woman Supreme Court judge.

Divan: for both bar and bench, stars here don't fall from sky but rise from the ground.. that is why it is important that we create equal opportunities.

#supremecourt

Event concludes

Event ends.
#supremecourt