HC issues notice to Bar councils on women quota

Vijayawada: The Andhra Pradesh High Court on Wednesday issued notices to the Bar Council of India and the Bar Council of Andhra Pradesh after hearing a PIL seeking 33 per cent reservation for women in the elections of all district bar associations in the state.

A Division Bench comprising Chief Justice Dheeraj Singh Thakur and Justice Challa Gunaranjan took up for hearing WP (PIL) No. 14 of 2026, a Public Interest Litigation filed by senior advocate Thota Sunitha.

In her petition, Sunitha requested the court to issue directions to the Bar Council of Andhra Pradesh to provide 33 per cent reservation to women advocates in the elections of all district bar associations in the state, by exercising its statutory powers under Section 3 of the Advocates Act, 1961. She brought to the notice of the court that there are more than 12,000 women advocates in the state. The petitioner appeared party-in-person in the matter.