Worrying only 1 woman judge left in SC: Justice Chandrachud as Justice Malhotra retires

With the Supreme Court left with only one woman judge, Justice DY Chandrachud on Saturday said that it is "deeply worrying" and this must promptly receive serious introspection. While speaking at a farewell ceremony organised by the Supreme Court Young Lawyers Forum to honour Justice Indu Malhotra, who was the first woman lawyer to be appointed directly as a judge of the Supreme Court, and retired from the court on Saturday. 

Justice DY Chandrachud said, "Justice Malhotra's retirement means that the Supreme Court now has only one female judge on the Bench. As an institution, I find that this is a deeply worrying fact and must promptly receive serious introspection."

Justice Chandrachud: 'We must do better'

Stating that as an institution whose decisions shape and impact the lives of every Indian, Justice Chandrachud said, "We must do better". He said, "We must ensure the diversity of our country finds reflection in making up of our court. Intrinsically having a more diverse judiciary is an end, a goal in itself and worth pursuing for its own sake."

During the farewell, he also said that having a more diverse judiciary ensured diversity of perspectives is fairly considered. He mentioned that it also instils a high degree of public confidence. "As members of legal fraternity we do our bit to ensure that it doesn't remain as hard as it was for Justice Malhotra for women to climb upper echelons of our profession," Justice Dy Chandrachud added. 

Speaking at the occasion, Justice Malhotra said that for a lawyer it was important to conduct yourself with a high degree of professionalism. She said that one must be properly attired, professionally at all times and be punctual in his/her engagements. "One issue I flagged when I was called by women lawyers to the Bar room after becoming a judge, I said please don't wear fashionable clothes, which you must keep for the evening and not while you are at work, "she added. 

"You must be professionally dressed as that's how you will be perceived by your clients, your colleagues, and the Bench. Second, you must learn to draft in a clear and concise manner," she said.

In her farewell speech on Wednesday, she said that the verdict delivered by the top court decriminalising consensual gay sex was the "most moving moment" as the emotions that swept the courtroom at that time were quite overwhelming.

Justice Malhotra, who took office on April 27, 2018, penned several important verdicts, including her dissenting judgment in the historic Sabarimala Temple case in which she had said a judicial review of religious practices should not be done as courts cannot impose their morality or rationality on the form of worship of a deity.