In an unprecedented move, the Dharwad Bench of the Karnataka High Court is set to convene exclusively all-women benches on August 1. This special session on a Saturday will witness the formation of seven benches, each comprising only women judges, in a significant stride towards gender representation in the judiciary.
According to Advocate Sanjana S Mudhol, who represents the ladies’ wing of the Advocates’ Association, this initiative arose from a request made by the committee members of the Association. The special session will include three division benches and four single-judge benches.
Division Benches
The division benches will consist of Justice Anu Sivaraman paired with Justice KG Shanthi, Justice Jyoti M alongside Justice P Sree Sudha, and Justice Lalitha Kanneganti with Justice KS Hemalekha.
Single-Judge Benches
The single-judge benches will feature Justice Chillakur Sumalatha, Justice Tara Vitasta Ganju, Justice Geetha KB, and Justice Rajeshwari N Hegde, each presiding over individual cases.
The establishment of all-women benches is a rare phenomenon in India’s constitutional courts. Historically, the Supreme Court has seen only a few such benches, the first being in 2013 with Justices Ranjana Desai and Gyan Sudha Misra. Subsequent benches were formed in 2018, 2022, and most recently in 2023, featuring Justices such as R Banumathi, Indira Banerjee, Hima Kohli, and Bela M Trivedi.
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High Courts across India have witnessed even fewer all-women benches. Notably, the Kerala High Court made history with an all-women full bench on International Women’s Day in 2022, involving Justices Anu Sivaraman, Shircy V, and MR Anitha. Justice Anu Sivaraman, now transferred to Karnataka, will return to serve on one of the all-women benches at Dharwad.
This initiative marks a significant step in promoting gender diversity within the judiciary, offering a platform for women judges in a field traditionally dominated by men.
