It took almost four decades for the Supreme Court after its establishment to have its first woman judge. Now, in a historic moment for gender representation, three women took oath as judges of the new Supreme Court of India on 31st August 2021. They will be serving along with Justice Indira Banerjee. In a first, three women judges out of the total of 9, took the oath of office as judges of the Supreme Court on Tuesday. The nine new judges who were administered the oath of office are Justice Abhay Shreeniwas Oka, Justice Vikram Nath, Justice Jitendra Kumar Maheshwari, Justice Hima Kohli, Justice B V Nagarathna, Justice C T Ravikumar, Justice M M Sundresh, Justice Bela M Trivedi and Justice P S Narasimha.
Did You Know
The Supreme Court, which came into being on January 26, 1950, has seen very few women judges since its inception and in the last over 71 years – only eight, starting with Justice M Fathima Beevi in 1989.
History Made In 2021 With 4 Sitting Women Judges In The Supreme Court Of India
1. Justice Bela M Trivedi
Justice Bela M Trivedi, the first woman judge from the Gujarat High Court to be appointed as the Supreme Court judge was elevated to the High Court as an additional judge on February 17, 2011. In June 2011, she was transferred as an additional judge of the Rajasthan High Court. She was transferred back to the Gujarat High Court in February 2016. During the period from 2003 to 2006, she served as the Law Secretary to the Gujarat Government.
2. Justice BV Nagarathna
Justice Nagarathna was a judge of the Karnataka High Court. Justice Nagarathna is in line to become the first woman CJI in September 2027. Justice Nagarathna, born on October 30, 1962, is the daughter of former CJI ES Venkataramiah. Although her tenure as the CJI would only be for 36 days, India’s long wait for the first woman CJI would hopefully end.
In an emotional speech delivered by Justice BV Nagarathna on August 27, 2021, she had said, “The message from this leaf in my book which I want women advocates to take note of is, that with access to the right opportunities, each one of you can achieve your dreams. I, therefore, urge each one of you to seek out these opportunities armed with faith in yourself and stride ahead to achieve all that you want to and also give back to society.“
3. Justice Hima Kohli
The first woman Chief Justice of the Telangana High Court, Justice Hima Kohli is the ninth woman to be elevated to the Supreme Court in its history of seven decades. Justice Hima Kohli is known for her firm approach in enforcing executive accountability and defending women rights. Justice Kohli was also appointed as an Additional Judge of the Delhi High Court in 2006 and was made a permanent Judge the next year.
4. Justice Indira Banerjee
Justice Indira Banerjee was appointed as a permanent judge at the Calcutta High Court on February 5, 2002. She was transferred to the Delhi High Court in August 2016. Banerjee assumed charge as the Chief Justice of the Madras High Court on April 5, 2017. She was the second woman in India to hold the position. In 2018, she was elevated as the Judge of the Supreme Court of India. She is the eighth female judge in the history of the Supreme Court and was the only female judge there till the entry of the new sitting women judges.
Not only are these women breaking age-old patriarchial norms but also excelling in what were traditionally considered male-dominated fields. Get inspired by these influential women leaving their mark on the world and excel in whatever you choose to do!