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New Delhi, Jan 27 (Legal correspondent-PMI) The Supreme Court on Tuesday refused to entertain a public interest litigation (PIL) seeking reservation for lawyers belonging to the Scheduled Castes (SC) and the Scheduled Tribes (ST) in elections to the State Bar Councils, citing procedural delay.
A bench comprising Chief Justice Surya Kant and Justices R. Mahadevan and Joymalya Bagchi observed that the petition had been filed at a belated stage, after the election process for the State Bar Councils had already been initiated. The bench noted that once the electoral process is underway, judicial intervention to alter the structure of representation is generally impermissible.
“It is too late in the day to seek such relief for the ongoing elections,” the bench remarked, making it clear that the court was not inclined to interfere mid-way through the electoral process.
During the hearing, counsel appearing for the petitioners argued that ensuring representation for SC/ST lawyers was essential to promote inclusivity and equality within statutory professional bodies. They placed reliance on the Supreme Court’s earlier directions mandating representation for women lawyers in State Bar Councils, contending that similar principles should apply to marginalised communities.
However, the bench was not persuaded by the argument, noting that the present plea could not be entertained at this stage due to its timing. Without going into the merits of the demand for reservation, the court declined to examine the issue further in view of the advanced stage of the election process.
With these observations, the Supreme Court dismissed the PIL, leaving the existing election framework for State Bar Councils unchanged for the current polls. (pressmediaofindia.com )
