CJI wants more representation for Women at Bench

Bangalore, Sep 22 (UNI) Openioning that Women were equally competent to men in all respects, Chief Justice of India Justice K G Balakrishnan today called for better representation of women at the Bench for speedy and good dispensation of justice.

Speaking after inaugurating the first ever Asia Women Layers Conference here, he said that more and more women were entering the legal fraternity and it has become necessity to restructure the whole legal system to accommodate them. "I hope that there will be large number of women in the Bench in the days to come" he added.

Maintaining that women have proved themselves as equally competent to men in dealing and deciding the cases with equal footing, he said that "the legal profession was no more a domain and activities of men".

Referring to the recent enactment of Prevention of Domestic Violence Act, Chief Justice cautioned against its misuse by the rich who can escape from it taking advantage of certain provisions including that of Compounding in nature. "We do not know the implications of the enforcement of the Domestic Violence act which has come into domain now and urged the women lawyers to deliberate on it in length for reforming it further." Karnataka High Court Chief Justice, Justice Cyriac Joseph, who also spoke on the occasion, said that empowerment of women means 'maintain, respecting and protecting Women hood'. He also called upon women not to shed their women hood in their zeal to achieve excellence.

Women delegates from Sri Lanka, Singapore, Malaysia, Philippines, and African countries are participating in the two-day Conference which has 'Women Rights are Human Rights' as its theme. It would also deliberate on scenario of Domestic Violence and Prevention of trafficking of women and children.

UNI