Petitioner Karnataka Federation of Women Lawyers (KFWL) filed a special leave petition on January 17, 2025 before the Supreme Court, challenging a High Court order that declined to interfere with the electoral process of the Advocates’ Association, Bengaluru (AAB). Petitioners had sought the inclusion of women members in the Governing Council of the AAB, in line with the Supreme Court’s directives in previous cases (Supreme Court Bar Association v. B.D. Kaushik and Fozia Rahman v. Bar Council of Delhi and Another) that emphasized the need for gender-based bar association reservations.
In its order dated 24th January 2025, invoking its powers under Article 142 of the Constitution, the Supreme Court directed the AAB to reserve the Treasurer post for women candidates in its upcoming election and mandated that 30% of Governing Council seats be reserved for women. In a second order dated 24th March 2025, the Court extended the 30% and Treasurer post-related reservations to all District Bar Associations in the State of Karnataka and directed the Registrar General of the High Court to submit a comprehensive compliance report to the Supreme Court.
In response to the High Court compliance report, KFWL then filed a reply affidavit dated 13th January, 2026, showing that numerous bar associations in Karnataka that have held elections since the March 2025 reservation order failed to comply or had only partially complied. On 16th January, 2026, the Supreme Court responded by directing the Karnataka High Court (and all other High Courts) to compile and submit accurate compliance data for every bar association in its jurisdiction.
The matter is next listed for 13 March 2026.