The Supreme Court on Friday sought a detailed report from the Registrar General of the Madras High Court regarding the toilet facilities specifically provided for women lawyers in the newly constructed combined court complex building in Udhagamandalam (Ooty).
A vacation bench comprising Justice Aniruddha Bose and Justice Rajesh Bindal noted that the previous report submitted by the Registrar General lacked sufficient detail regarding the current facilities available to women lawyers and whether there have been any reductions or limitations in these facilities.
The bench thus ordered, “Let a detailed report be filed by the High Court administration through the registrar general. Such report should reach registry of this court by Sunday through electronic mode and this matter shall be listed on June 12, Monday“.
The bench further stated that it would make necessary decisions after reviewing the report in question.
The vacation bench was addressing a petition filed by the Women Lawyers Association of Nilgiris, which alleged a decrease in facilities for women within the new court complex.
During the hearing, it acknowledged the primary concern raised by the women lawyers regarding the reduction of space allocated for their facilities.
In relation to this issue, the bench also took note of a report from Bar & Bench that highlighted the longstanding struggle of women lawyers who have been advocating for a toilet in the court complex for nearly three decades.
“Subsequent demands were made by certain women lawyers to have some basic facilities in the court complex and the main among them is the shrinking of space facilities allocated to them in new court complex. This was reflected in an online news report,” the order reads.
Following that, the registry of the Apex Court informed the bench about the report submitted by the Registrar General of the Madras High Court.
It also granted permission for the inclusion of the Nilgiris District Bar Association as a party opposing the plea.
Earlier, on April 29, a Bench comprising Chief Justice of India DY Chandrachud and Justice PS Narasimha had disposed of the petition filed by the association.
This decision was made after Senior Advocate Guru Krishnakumar, representing the Madras High Court, assured the court that necessary measures had been taken to address the issue. The Apex Court had granted the association the freedom to approach the district judge or the Registrar General of the High Court to seek resolution for any ongoing grievances.
However, the affected women have expressed dissatisfaction, stating that the allotted toilet cubicles are unusable due to their small size, making it impossible to walk straight or exit comfortably without squeezing oneself.
The National Commission for Women (NCW) has also raised concerns and sent a letter to the Registrar General of the High Court regarding this matter. NCW Chairperson Rekha Sharma emphasized that having a separate and fully functional toilet facility for women lawyers is not only a matter of gender equality and dignity but also an essential step towards creating an inclusive and supportive environment for all legal professionals.
