"Nilgris Association May Not Have Any Grievance For Now": SC Adjourns Plea Alleging Lack of Toilet For Women In Court Complex

The Supreme Court today, while dealing with a Miscellaneous Application highlighting the grievances of women lawyers practising in the combined court complex of Nilgiris District in Tamil Nadu, pursued the report of the Registrar General of Madras High Court and noted that the facilities in the Court premises are made available and the grievance raised doesn't survive.

The Vacation Bench of Justice Aniruddha Bose and Justice Rajesh Bindal directed that "In terms of our direction passed on 9th June 2023, the Registrar General of the High Court, Madras has filed a detailed report giving particulars of the facilities which are available in the new Court complex. As of now the petitioner, Female Lawyers, Association of Nilgiris may not have any grievance.  The matter be listed before the appropriate Bench in the first week of July 2023".

Appearing for the Madras High Court, Senior Advocate Guru Krishnakumar said that the allotment was made to the Association in April but they were refusing to take it. "Nothing survives, they have now got it. They want media attention unnecessarily" submitted Guru. Petitioner contended the same by stating that the space Allocated is not as per the PWD norms.  The Bench on the issues raised stated "We are not closing this petition.

On June 9, 2023, the Bench noted that the presently available report by the Registrar General of the Madras High Court does not explain in detail in what manner the facilities for women lawyers were being provided. Accordingly, the Court directed the Registrar General of the High Court to file a detailed report and noted that "This Court shall consider passing appropriate orders on going through the fresh report."

Background: The Court took up a miscellaneous application on its own motion and directed it to be listed with a Writ Petition instituted by the Women Lawyers Association of Nilgiris seeking the availability of basic amenities in the Court complex. The said Writ Petition was earlier disposed of by the Chief Justice-led bench by granting liberty to either move the District Judge or, as the case may be, the Registrar General of the High Court so that the grievance can be looked into. 

The Court observed that as reported in an online news portal on June 6, 2023, complaints were raised on behalf of certain women lawyers demanding basic facilities in the same court complex and it appears that their main concern is over shrinking of the space or facilities allocated to them in the new court complex.

"This miscellaneous application has been taken up by this Court on its own motion, considering the nature of grievances of the women lawyers of the Nilgiris district projected in the said news report," observed the Bench while referring to the column of the legal portal carrying the headline “these women lawyers of Nilgiris have been demanding toilet in court complex for 25 years.” 

Cause Title: Women Lawyers Association Of Nilgiris v. The Registrar, Madras High Court & Anr. [M.A. No.1378/2023 in W.P.(C) No.511/2023]