The Supreme Court Monday sought response from the Bar Council of India (BCI) on a plea seeking formulation of social security measures for women lawyers such as maternity benefits and the old age pension.
A bench, comprising Chief Justice Ranjan Gogoi and Justices Deepak Gupta and Aniruddha Bose, issued notices to BCI and its chairperson Manan Kumar Mishra on the PIL seeking a direction to the apex bar body to formulate a scheme towards the Social Security Measures for women lawyers.
The plea, filed by advocate Indu Kaul, sought formulation of measures by the apex bar body in coordination with state bar councils to ensure that women lawyers are strengthened.
"Direct Bar Council of India...to formulate a scheme towards the Social Security Measures for lady advocates in coordination with respective state bar councils," it said.
Women lawyers who get married have to stay away from courts periodically as "there is no social security measure introduced towards maternity benefits", it said.
As per BCI Model Scheme, at the retirement age of 60 years, a lady lawyer's position becomes pitiable as her practice diminishes due to poor health and her family still nourishes the impression that being an advocate she must be capable of earning her livelihood, it said.
"Through social security measures there must be a provision for pension when she opts out of active practice," the petition said.
"Bar Councils from different states and BCI collect a huge amount of money on the sale of Advocates' Welfare Stamp affixed mandatorily on every Vakalatnama irrespective of the fact that the case is criminal, jail petition, of women, old and indigent persons and/or PIL... BCI as a statutory body is bound to formulate social security measures for providing financial assistance which is a part of it as a body corporate to bear the corporate social responsibility," the petition submitted.
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