Public spaces often reflect pre-existing inequalities in society: CJI Chandrachud

“For example, we have district courts across India. I have been an administrative judge as a young judge of the High Court in many of those districts where there was not even a common toilet for women lawyers. Had to come to the courts to do their work and often found that there was not even a toilet for the young female judges…”

“This is the reality of the Indian district judiciary, although things are changing,” he said.

He said, recently the Supreme Court presented a report on the status of the Indian Judiciary through the Center for Research and Planning.

He said the report shows significant deficiencies in infrastructure not only in the district judiciary but also in the high courts.

The CJI said that judges should have a sense of belonging, a sense of self-worth and lawyers should have a sense of self-worth that the institution in which they spend their lives is indeed an institution worth being proud of.

“And so the creation of new chambers for lawyers, the creation of areas where judges and lawyers can interact, areas where we can train young members of the Bar to join the district judiciary, the development of our own institution of the judiciary. of which we are such proud members today,” he said.

As young women enter the district judiciary, over the next decade or two, they will go on to hold positions at the Bar and judicial positions, whether in the district judiciary or in the High Courts, in ever increasing numbers. He said.

“It is therefore vital that we create new bar rooms for women, areas where they can work, debate and mentor each other,” she said.