The Supreme Court on Monday, October 26, directed States and High Courts to provide exclusive women's bar rooms with washrooms and basic amenities in district, sub-divisional and taluka courts wherever women advocates practise, irrespective of their numbers, with States to allocate funds and land where required and High Court infrastructure committees to give priority to implementation.

Source: LawChakra

A bench of Chief Justice of India Surya Kant and Justices Joymalya Bagchi and V. Mohana passed the directions in Sarika Tyagi v. Union of India, W.P.(C) No. 770/2026, a petition filed by women advocates, and appointed Attorney General R. Venkataramani as the nodal authority to coordinate compliance by States and Union Territories and consolidate their progress reports.

Source: The Bar Bulletin

"If there are no ladies' bar rooms, we strongly disapprove of it. It is the duty of all High Courts and State governments to ensure that wherever women members, young women are practising, they are provided an exclusive women's bar room with all facilities. This is the mandate. We do not want to deviate from that. It has to be complied with, whether additional funds or additional land are required," CJI Surya Kant said, as reported by The Bar Bulletin.

The Court directed all Advocates General and standing counsel for Union Territories to submit progress reports to the Attorney General, who will compile them and place them before the Court, and permitted the petitioners, their counsel and intervenors to submit suggestions through the Attorney General for consideration by the State governments, Bar and Bench reported.

Source: Bar and Bench

Counsel for the petitioners submitted that even in the 16-17 affidavits filed so far, many had clearly stated that in a majority of district court complexes there are no toilets or washrooms for women advocates. Sixteen States and High Courts have filed compliance reports, and the Attorney General told the Court he is in constant touch with the States and would hold another round of meetings by the end of October to expedite implementation, Verdictum reported.

Source: Verdictum

The petition grew out of a nationwide survey of court complexes which found that most lacked a dedicated ladies' bar room or offered inadequate facilities. On June 19, 2026, the Court had linked basic infrastructure for women advocates to the right to life and dignity under Article 21, sought the views of the Attorney General and the Advocates General of the States, and endorsed a proposal for a fund to support young advocates, LawChakra reported. The matter will be heard next on December 2.